"I don't know"

[Julie]

Hi everyone!

I haven't been here in awhile and thought I'd ask a quick question that has been bugging me:

Why do we say "no LO se" and not just "no se" ??

Thanks, Julie

[WMX]

Because that's just the way it is

[Rusty]

If you want to say 'I know it', use the direct object pronoun 'lo'. If you just want to say 'I know', don't use the direct object pronoun. If there is more to the sentence, the 'what you know' part, add 'que' and say what you know.

Speakers use 'lo' when they are affirming that they know 'it' (whatever it is). The pronoun 'it' takes the place of something already understood. The speakers will understand what 'it' means.
For example:
¿Sabes que se van al baile a las ocho? Sí, lo sé.

[sosia]

Originally Posted by Julie

Hi everyone!

I haven't been here in awhile and thought I'd ask a quick question that has been bugging me:

Why do we say "no LO se" and not just "no se" ??

Thanks, Julie

This is only a joke, not a proper answer
------
Because we are proud spaniards, and then we say "I don't know IT", but we know a lot of other things.
So "No lo se" you say you don't know THAT thing.
Saying "No sé" it's saying you don't know....THAT and perhaps other things.
Spaniards don't like to be ignorant.
------------------
You can say "no sé" instead of "no lo sé" and it's not a fault.
But it's more common "no lo sé", why? perhaps because the possitive it's "(yo) lo sé" (I know it) so saying only "(yo) sé" (I know) it's very rare. And for the negative you teke the commen "lo sé" and transforms to "no lo sé"

Saludos

[bleitzow]

Julie,

Thank you for asking this question. I asked my Mexican friend over the weekend about this and she couldn't tell me. I got the same response as someone in here, "that's just the way it is".

Thanks again for asking!
Brenda

[Elaina]

NO LO SE....

lo único que esta frase dice es que .... esa cosa en particular no la/lo sé..... pero sí se otras cosas. Es como Sosia dijo.

Elaina

[Tomisimo]

It's common to use the object pronoun lo with the verb saber, especially when you are referring to a specific item of information, because in this case saber is used as a transitive verb: Transitive meaning it needs a subject and an object.

Do you know if she is going to come? No, I don't know.
¿Tú sabes si va a ir ella? No, no lo sé.

The lo is referring back to the piece of information-- whether she's going to come or not.

[Julie]

Thanks everyone....you guys rock!!

[ckc777]

Hey, I actually understood... yea! Thanks everyone