The neuter relative pronoun (lo cual)

The Neuter Relative Pronoun: lo cual

In Spanish, relative pronouns link clauses together. When you want to use "which" to refer back to an entire preceding idea, situation, or clause—rather than a specific noun—use the neuter relative pronoun lo cual.

The glacier is melting very fast, which is terrible.
El glaciar se está derritiendo muy rápido, lo cual es terrible.
The geologist has been studying the glacier for five years, which is fascinating.
El geólogo lleva cinco años estudiando el glaciar, lo cual es fascinante.

Connecting Causes and Consequences

Because lo cual requires an immediately preceding clause to refer back to, it can never be used to start a sentence. It almost always follows a comma, making it the perfect tool for connecting a natural event to its consequence.

There is a lot of activity on the geological fault, which causes a seismic risk.
Hay mucha actividad en la falla, lo cual provoca un riesgo sísmico.
The tectonic plate is moving, which causes earthquakes.
La placa tectónica se mueve, lo cual provoca terremotos.
The storm caused an avalanche, which blocked the road.
La tormenta provocó una avalancha, lo cual bloqueó la carretera.

Adding Observations

You can also use lo cual to attach a commentary, judgment, or explanation to a geological phenomenon you just mentioned.

The magma rises through the crack, which is very dangerous.
El magma sube por la grieta, lo cual es muy peligroso.
The tectonic plate keeps shaking, which explains the damage.
La placa tectónica sigue temblando, lo cual explica los daños.
The scientist found a crack in the glacier, which is strange.
La científica encontró una grieta en el glaciar, lo cual es extraño.
Practice this lesson