Breakdown of El mercado es menos estable de lo que pensábamos.
ser
to be
de
from / of
el mercado
market
pensar
to think / to plan
que
that / than
menos
to (telling time) / minus / less
lo
the ... thing (neuter article)
estable
stable
Questions & Answers about El mercado es menos estable de lo que pensábamos.
Why does this sentence use de lo que for "than" instead of just que?
In Spanish, when you make a comparison and the second part is a clause with a conjugated verb (like pensábamos), you use de lo que instead of just que. You would only use que when comparing an adjective directly to a noun or pronoun, such as menos estable que el otro (less stable than the other one).
What exactly is the function of lo in de lo que?
Here, lo is a neuter article acting a bit like "the thing" or "that which." So, de lo que translates roughly to "than that which," allowing you to smoothly connect the comparative phrase to the ongoing thought you are describing.
Why is pensábamos in the imperfect tense rather than the preterite (pensamos)?
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