Breakdown of Hay un micrófono en el maletín; no lo abras.
no
no, not
un
a, an (masculine)
en
in / on / at
haber
to be (there is / there are)
abrir
to open
lo
it / him (direct object)
el micrófono
the microphone
el maletín
the briefcase
Questions & Answers about Hay un micrófono en el maletín; no lo abras.
Why is lo placed before the verb in no lo abras?
When you give a negative command in Spanish (telling someone not to do something), object pronouns like lo must be placed immediately before the conjugated verb. You cannot attach them to the end of the word.
Could I attach the pronoun and say no abraslo instead?
No. Pronouns can only be attached to the end of affirmative commands (like ábrelo - open it), infinitives, and "-ing" words. For all negative commands, the pronoun must stand alone before the verb.
Why does the verb end in "-as" (abras) instead of "-es" (abres) or "-e" (abre)?
What exactly does lo refer to here?
lo is a masculine singular pronoun meaning "it". In this sentence, it replaces el maletín (the briefcase). Even though un micrófono is also masculine, common sense tells us you shouldn't open the briefcase, not the microphone!
Why use hay instead of está for "there is"?
Hay is used to declare that something simply exists ("there is" or "there are"), which is perfect here because we are introducing a new, unspecific item: "a" microphone (un micrófono). You would use está if you were stating the location of a specific, already-known item, like "the microphone is in the briefcase" (el micrófono está en el maletín).
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