Breakdown of Se me rompió el primer ejemplar, lo que es terrible.
ser
to be
que
that / than
me
to me / me (direct object)
primero
first
romper
to break
terrible
terrible / awful
lo
the ... thing (neuter article)
se
(marker of an accidental/unintentional event)
el ejemplar
the copy (of a book/publication)
Questions & Answers about Se me rompió el primer ejemplar, lo que es terrible.
Why use lo que here instead of just que?
In this sentence, the relative pronoun refers to the entire previous idea (the fact that the copy got torn), not just a specific noun. When referring back to a whole situation or clause, you need the neuter relative pronoun lo que (or lo cual). If you just used que, it would incorrectly refer to the immediately preceding noun, ejemplar, which would mean the copy itself is a terrible copy.
Could I use lo cual instead of lo que in this sentence?
Why does the sentence say se me rompió instead of yo rompí?
Using se me rompió is the accidental se construction, which shifts the blame away from the speaker. It translates literally as 'the copy broke on me.' Using yo rompí would imply you intentionally destroyed the copy. By using se plus the indirect object pronoun me, you emphasize that the tearing was an accident.
Does ejemplar mean 'example' in this context?
No, this is a common false friend. In this context, ejemplar refers to a 'copy' or 'issue' of a publication, like a book or magazine. The Spanish word for 'example' is ejemplo.
The English translation says 'tore', but doesn't romper usually mean 'to break'?
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