Referring to "the thing about..."
When catching up on recent news or office gossip, you often want to bring up a situation that both you and your coworker already know about. Instead of explaining the whole story, you can simply use the phrase lo de (the thing about / the matter of).
Because you are referring to an abstract situation or event rather than a specific object, we use the neuter article lo. You can follow lo de directly with an infinitive verb to refer to an action.
| The thing about firing the director is a big problem. | Lo de despedir al director es un gran problema. |
You can also follow lo de with a noun to refer to a specific event, like a merger or a transfer.
| The thing about the merger with that company is false. | Lo de la fusión con esa empresa es falso. |
| The thing about your transfer is very surprising. | Lo de tu traslado es muy sorprendente. |
Discussing the rumors
Lo de is perfect for casually discussing leaks, secrets, and rumors without needing to spell everything out.
| Who leaked the thing about the cuts? | ¿Quién ha filtrado lo de los recortes? |
| The thing about her pregnancy is a secret. | Lo de su embarazo es un secreto. |
Remember that if the noun following lo de uses the masculine singular article el, the preposition de and the article el must combine into the contraction del.
| If they announce the thing about the cut, we're protesting. | Si anuncian lo del recorte, protestamos. |
