Questions & Answers about Parece fácil, pero no lo es.
Why do we need the word lo here if the English translation is just 'it is not'?
In Spanish, when you refer back to an adjective or a noun that describes what something is, you must use the neuter pronoun lo. Here, lo takes the place of the adjective fácil. You cannot just drop it and say pero no es because the verb ser needs that attribute to be represented. Does lo change to la if the thing we are talking about is feminine?
No. When replacing an adjective or an abstract concept after the verb ser, the pronoun is always the invariable, neuter lo, regardless of the gender of the subject. Even if you were talking about a feminine noun like a test (la prueba), you would still say no lo es. Could I use está instead of es since we are talking about how something seems right now?
No, because being easy (fácil) is considered an inherent characteristic of the task, not a temporary state or physical condition. Therefore, you must use es (from the verb ser) rather than está (from estar). Could I say pero no lo parece instead of pero no lo es at the end?
Yes, but it changes the meaning completely. Saying pero no lo parece translates to 'but it does not seem like it' (meaning the task actually is easy, but it looks hard). The original phrase pero no lo es means 'but it is not easy' (meaning it looks easy, but it is actually hard). Learn Parece fácil, pero no lo es and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free