Page:Dictionary of spoken Spanish (1945).djvu/13

 lo que is used when reference is made to a phrase, a sentence, or to a specific thing without a specific gender: ''Lo que Ud. pide es imposible.'' "What (That which) you ask is impossible."

lo cual is used in supplementary clauses when the antecedent is a clause, a phrase, or an idea: Se negó a recibirme, lo cual lamento mucho. "He refused to receive me, which I regret very much."

1.25Indefinite pronouns are: alguien "someone", alguno, -a, -os, -as "somebody, some", algo "something", nadie "no one", ninguno, -a, -os, -as "nobody, none", nada "nothing", cualquiera "whichever", and quienquiera "whoever"'

1.26Possessive adjectives are:

Possessives agree in gender and number with the thing possessed. Possessive pronouns are formed by adding el to mío, tuyo, suyo, nuestro, and ''vuestro. El suyo is usually replaced (to avoid ambiguity) by el de él, el de ella, el de ustedes, el de ellos: Mi libro, el suyo y el de él.'' "My book, yours, and his." El is omitted after the verb ser: El libro es mío. "The book's mine."

The English possessive case is rendered by de and possessor noun or pronoun: Ese es el libro de mi amigo "This is my friend's book."

1.3Prepositions and conjunctions: a, de, en, por, and para are the most frequently used prepositions in Spanish.

1.a "to" implies motion, in contrast with en, which corresponds to English "in" or "at" (place where or state). Bear this distinction in mind in translating English "at".

a)a is used as a sign of personal object, and as such is not translated into English:

It is also used with the infinitive after verbs of motion

b) al followed by the infinitive corresponds to English "on" and "when": al partir "on leaving"

2.de "of, from" is replaced by que "that" and estar "be" when the position of a noun is purely accidental and not permanent or customary: la casa de enfrente "the house across the street", el hombre que está delante de la casa "the man who is in front of the house".