In a previous lesson, we learned about how the verb volver can be used figuratively to express the idea of becoming:
Después se volvió más profesional
Afterwards, it became more professional
y me encantó más aún todavía, ¿no?
and I loved it even more still, right?
Caption 10, Los Juegos Olímpicos - Adrián Gavira
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But other Spanish verbs also translate as "to become," for example the verbs transformarse and convertirse (to become, to turn into). These verbs are just as common as volverse but they work differently. That's why you can't just substitute se volvió with se transformó or se convirtió in the example above. When using these verbs you need to be more specific and always remember to use the preposition en (into) to introduce a complement that gives more information about the transformation in question. For example:
...pronto se convierte en una carrera de obstáculos.
...quickly becomes a highway of obstacles.
Caption 41, Animales en familia - La operación de Yaki
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El pergamino se transforma en "cisco" y en almendra.
The parchment is transformed into the leftover "cisco" and the bean.
Caption 41, Una Historia de Café - La Bodega
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You can switch convertirse and transformarse in the examples above and obtain correct expressions:
...pronto se transforma en una carrera de obstáculos.
...quickly becomes a highway of obstacles.
El pergamino se convierte en "cisco" y en almendra.
The parchment is transformed into the leftover "cisco" and the bean.
But with the verb volverse you don’t need the preposition en (into), so you say:
...pronto se vuelve una carrera de obstáculos.
...quickly becomes a highway of obstacles.
El pergamino se vuelve "cisco" y almendra.
The parchment is transformed into the leftover "cisco" and the bean.
However, to use transformarse or convertirse instead of volverse in the first example you'll have to do more than that, because you can't just say that something or someone se transformó en más profesional (transformed into more professional), right? The expression is incomplete. “Transformed into a more professional what?” people would ask. So you have to say something like:
Después se transformó en una actividad más profesional...
Después se convirtió en una actividad más profesional...
Afterwards, it became a more professional activity...
Finally, an interesting tidbit: You can use both transformarse and convertirse alone as reflexive verbs to express the idea that a person transforms herself or himself, without the need of any complement or preposition, but you can't do the same with volverse:
Me transformo (I transform myself).
Me convierto (I transform myself).
Me vuelvo (This is incomplete; you have to state what you are turning into, for example: me vuelvo un vampiro, which means "I become a vampire").
Have you ever been confused when Spanish speakers use the subjunctive mood even when talking about something that really happened? You're not alone! Many Spanish learners struggle with this seemingly contradictory use of the subjunctive. Let's explore when and why Spanish uses the subjunctive to state facts.
One of the most common reasons Spanish uses the subjunctive for facts is when expressing a judgment or opinion about that fact. Take a look at this example:
Ahora, qué raro que lo haya atacado un puma.
But, it's strange that a puma attacked him.
Caption 66, Yago - 1 La llegada
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It's a fact that the puma attacked him, so why use the subjunctive? The trigger is the expression qué raro (it's strange). When you make a judgment about an event—whether it's strange, sad, surprising, or unfair—Spanish requires the subjunctive. This pattern works with many similar expressions: es raro (it's strange), es triste (it's sad), es una pena (it's a shame), and more.
¿Sabés que este es un lindo departamento?
Do you know that this is a nice apartment?
Es una pena que lo dejes. ¿Por qué?
It's a shame for you to leave it. Why?
Captions 5-6, Muñeca Brava - 36 La pesquisa
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Another reason to use the subjunctive with facts is to sound more polite or less imposing. Look at this example:
¿No te pone contenta que quiera vivir con vos aquí?
Doesn't it make you happy that I want to live here with you?
Caption 15, Yago - 4 El secreto
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It's clearly a fact that the speaker wants to live there, but using the subjunctive (quiera) makes the statement softer and more refined. You could use the indicative here (quiero) and it would still be grammatically correct, but it would sound more direct and assertive.
Some expressions always require the subjunctive, even when stating facts. For example:
No es malo que Lucía fume.
It's not bad that Lucía smokes.
Even though Lucía really does smoke, you cannot say no es malo que Lucía fuma—that's incorrect. Any phrase expressing judgment like no es malo (it's not bad), no es un delito (it's not a crime), or es un pecado (it's a sin) will always trigger the subjunctive.
Perhaps the most confusing use of the subjunctive for stating facts happens with emotional reactions. Check out this example:
Me revienta que me digas "te lo dije."
I hate it when you say "I told you so."
Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 1 Piloto
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The speaker isn't doubting what was said—it's a fact. But the subjunctive is required because of the emotional verb me revienta (I hate it) combined with a change of subject between the two verbs.
📌 When you have an emotional reaction + a change of subject, you need the subjunctive.
Compare these sentences:
Me revienta escucharte (I hate listening to you) - Same subject, no subjunctive needed
Me revienta que me digas (I hate it when you say) - Different subjects, subjunctive required
This construction appears frequently with expressions of gratitude too:
Te agradezco que me ayudes (I thank you for helping me)
Te agradezco que me digas (I thank you for telling me)
Mira, yo te agradezco que estés tan positiva y tu buena energía,
Look, I appreciate that you're so positive and your good energy,
Caption 21, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 3
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Here are additional examples showing how Spanish uses the subjunctive to express facts when emotions or judgments are involved:
Y me encanta que la gente disfrute con el deporte que practico.
And I love that people enjoy the sport that I do.
Caption 14, Los Juegos Olímpicos - Adrián Gavira
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bonitas o feas,
[whether] beautiful or ugly...
no soporto que las golpeen.
I can't tolerate for them to be beaten.
Captions 47-48, El Ausente - Acto 4
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¿Por qué no? -No me gusta que vivas sola, por eso.
Why? -I don't like it that you live alone, that's why.
Caption 89, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza
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📌 Spanish uses the subjunctive to state facts when:
• You're expressing a judgment or opinion about the fact
• You want to sound more polite or less imposing (optional in some cases)
• You're using emotional verbs with a change of subject (always required)
• You're using negative or evaluative expressions like "it's not bad," "it's a shame," etc.
The subjunctive doesn't always mean doubt or uncertainty—sometimes it's all about expressing your attitude toward what you know to be true! We'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic—reach out to us with your questions or insights!
The word lo can either be used as a neuter article, or as a pronoun. In this lesson we will focus on its use as an article.
Neuter articles are used to express abstract ideas or give extra emphasis to a certain adjective. As a neuter article, lo is the easiest of all the articles as there is only one form: lo. It can be placed in front of just about any adjective that expresses an abstraction or a quality (or extreme degree of quantity), something that's not a concrete object or person.
Here are some phrases that take lo before different types of adjectives:
lo bueno = "the good part, what's good"
lo fácil = "the easy part, what's easy"
lo mío = "(that which is) mine"
lo nuestro = "(that which is) ours"
Lo + adjective can be translated in English as "the" + adjective + the word "thing" or "part":
Y pues, es lo malo de vivir en un país así.
And well, it's the bad thing about living in a country like this.
Caption 68, Amigos D.F. - El secuestrar
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Eso es lo bonito de la gastronomía.
That is the nice thing about gastronomy.
Caption 29, Cómetelo - Crema de brócoli
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In fact, lo + adjective generates the syntactic equivalent of a noun phrase. That's why it's also common to translate it as "what is + adjective." In the previous examples, we would have:
Y pues, es lo malo de vivir en un país así / And well, it's what is bad about living in a country like this.
Eso es lo bonito de la gastronomía / That's what is nice about gastronomy.
The use of lo before a relative clause has a similar effect:
Hay gente que rectifica lo que dice
There are people who correct what they say
Caption 39, Calle 13 - No hay nadie como tú
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Lucio, tengo que contarte que por lo que me adelantó Morena...
Lucio, I have to tell you that from what Morena told me in advance...
Caption 57, Yago - 7 Encuentros - Part 14
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In fact, lo can often be taken to mean roughly la cosa or las cosas:
Hay gente que rectifica lo que dice. → There are people who correct what they say.
Hay gente que rectifica (las cosas) que dice. → There are people who correct (the things) they say.
...por lo que me adelantó Morena. → ...from what Morena told me.
...por (las cosas) que me adelantó Morena. → ...from (the things) that Morena told me.
By the way, lo can be used before a series of adjetives too:
Pero encontrar lo bueno, bonito y barato
But finding the good, [the] nice and [the] cheap
a veces es muy complicado.
is sometimes very complicated.
Captions 2-3, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
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Of course, in order to help our subscribers with their learning process, we have made the translation here as parallel as possible. But you already know what would make a more natural translation, right?
→ But finding what's good, nice, and cheap is sometimes complicated.
→ But finding the good, nice, and cheap things is sometimes complicated.
There is yet one more use of lo as a neuter article and it's rather interesting. Lo is used to express the extreme degree or nature of a given concept or idea. Here it's best to review some examples:
¿Es que no eres todo lo feliz que desearías?
Is it that you are not as happy as you would like?
Caption 26, De consumidor a persona - Short Film
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Sometimes this lo equates to using the word “how”:
Si supieras lo mucho que te amo
If you knew how much I love you
Caption 15, Ozomatli - Jardinero
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Porque ves las gradas llenas, eh,
Because you see the packed bleachers, um,
la gente lo bien que se lo pasa con la música.
how much fun the people have with the music.
Captions 11-12, Los Juegos Olímpicos - Adrián Gavira
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¿Pero cómo voy a perder mis maletas de vista
But how am I going to lose sight of my suitcases
con lo grandes que son?
with how big they are?
Captions 29-30, Raquel - Avisos de Megafonía
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Read more about the use of the neuter gender here.
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