Learn Spanish (Spain): ¿Lees el periódico? Siempre lo leo. - Do you read the newspaper? I always read it.

lo translates to 'it'. It is a direct object pronoun that replaces the noun el periódico (the newspaper) so we do not have to repeat the word. Because periódico is a masculine singular noun, we must use the masculine singular pronoun lo.

Why does lo come before leo instead of after it?

In English, we put 'it' after the verb ('I read it'). But in Spanish, when you use a direct object pronoun like lo with a conjugated verb like leo, the pronoun must go directly before the verb. That is why it is lo leo (literally 'it I read').

Could I put siempre at the end and say Lo leo siempre?

Yes, you can! Spanish word order is quite flexible with adverbs like siempre (always), so putting it at the end is perfectly fine. Just remember that the pronoun lo and the verb leo are a strict package deal—the lo must stay right in front of the verb.

Why aren't the words for 'you' (tú) and 'I' (yo) in this sentence?

In Spanish, the ending of the verb tells us who is doing the action. The -es ending in lees tells us 'you' are reading, and the -o ending in leo tells us 'I' am reading. Because the verbs make this so clear, Spanish speakers usually drop tú and yo.