Learn Spanish (Spain): ¿El tomate fresco? Lo necesito para la cena.

In Spanish, adjectives (words that describe things, like fresco) usually come after the noun they describe (like tomate). So instead of "fresh tomato", you literally say "tomato fresh".

The word "tomate" ends in an "e". How can I tell if it is masculine or feminine?

Nouns ending in -e can be either masculine or feminine, so you often just have to memorize them! However, you can tell that tomate is masculine in this sentence because it uses the masculine word for "the", which is el.

What does the "Lo" mean in "Lo necesito"?

Lo means "it". It is a pronoun that replaces el tomate so you don't have to repeat the word. Because tomate is a masculine noun, we use the masculine word for "it" (lo) instead of the feminine one (la).

Why does "Lo" come before the verb "necesito"?

In English, we say "I need it", putting "it" right after the verb. But in Spanish, these short replacement words (object pronouns) must go before the main verb. That is why the sentence is ordered as Lo necesito (literally "It I need").

Why use "para" instead of "por" for "for dinner"?