Using "lo", the neuter article

[laepelba]

There are some sample sentences in my workbook with the neuter article. There is one that I don't quite understand...

Spanish: Lo bueno es lo rápido que aprendo español.

My translation: The good thing is to learn Spanish quickly. (But I really don't think that this is the sense........)

I just don't get it. Help! Thanks!!

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Spanish: Lo bueno es lo rápido que aprendo español.

My translation: The good thing is to learn Spanish quickly. (But I really don't think that this is the sense........)

Neither do I. I think it is more like the good thing is how quickly I am learning Spanish.

Here is a dump of my dictionary entry for lo. Note lo difícil and others:

lo1artículo
A : prefiero lo dulce I prefer sweet things; lo difícil es más interesante difficult things are more interesting; dejemos lo difícil para mañana let's leave the difficult part until tomorrow; lo interesante del caso es que … the interesting thing about the case is that …; ¿estoy en lo correcto? am I right?; desde lo alto de la sierra from high up in the mountains; trata de ser lo más objetivo posible try to be as objective as possible; lo expresado por mi colega what my colleague said; que cada cual se ocupe de lo suyo everyone should take care of their own things; se ha enterado de lo nuestro she's found out about us; lo de la enfermedad de su madre es puro cuento this business o story about his mother being ill is complete fiction; lo de Rafael fue realmente trágico what happened to Rafael was really tragic; lo de María es muy triste it's very sad about María; voy a lo de Cristina (Río de la Plata) I'm going to Cristina's, I'm going to Cristina's house o (familiar) place
B (con oraciones de relativo): no entiendo lo que dices I don't understand what you're saying; haz lo que creas oportuno do as you see fit, do what you think fit; lo que más me gustó fue la música what I liked most was the music; lo que es por mí, que se muera (familiar) for all I care o as far as I'm concerned, he can drop dead (familiar); (familiar) en lo que se refiere a la televisión … as far as television is concerned …; lo cual or lo que fue desmentido por el Gobierno which was denied by the Government
C (con valor ponderativo): ¡lo que debe haber sufrido! how she must have suffered!; ¿no te das cuenta de lo ridículo que es? don't you realize how ridiculous it is?; ¡no te imaginas lo que fue aquello! you can't imagine what it was like!; ¿has visto lo mal que habla? you see how badly he speaks?; ¡lo que es tener la conciencia tranquila! it's wonderful o what it is to have a clear conscience!; pobre abuelo, con lo enfermo que está … poor grandpa, he's so ill …; nosotros estábamos aquí lo más tranquilos (familiar) we were just sitting here as quiet as you like (familiar)

[laepelba]

Thanks, Perikles. But I'm having difficulty with is attaching the idea of speed to the conjugated "I learn..." part....

That "dump" is helpful......

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Thanks, Perikles. But I'm having difficulty with is attaching the idea of speed to the conjugated "I learn..." part....

Try seeing the lo rápido as shorthand for the fast manner with which

[laepelba]

Hmmm... okay, that makes sense..... I think the other thing that has me stumped on this is trying to equate "the good thing" with "learning something rapidly". I guess I see learning as a process that should probably not have a lot of shortcuts. I'm pre-disposed to have issues with this one............

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Hmmm... okay, that makes sense..... I think the other thing that has me stumped on this is trying to equate "the good thing" with "learning something rapidly". I guess I see learning as a process that should probably not have a lot of shortcuts. I'm pre-disposed to have issues with this one............

You're not far.

Learning (it/something/that) rapidly.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Not an easy translation.
This "lo rápido" is working as "how fast": The good thing how fast I'm learning Spanish... it's so good I learn quickly.
And yes, you learn rather quickly.

[wafflestomp]

Would a more literal one be like "The good thing is the fast speed that I learn spanish"

[Rusty]

A very literal rendering is "The good is the fast that I'm learning Spanish," but a literal translation isn't good English. So, we have to say 'good thing' and we have to convert 'the fast' to 'how fast (that)' or 'the speed at which'. ("Aprendo" can mean "I'm learning," "I do learn," and "I learn.")

~~~
The good thing is how fast I'm learning Spanish.
The good thing is the speed at which I'm learning Spanish.

[wafflestomp]

Yeah I was thinking of using at which too in there. Makes sense to me. Thanks for the explanation rusty.

[laepelba]

Yes - all of this is helpful. This is a GREAT example of the fact that not everything can be translated. Period. I have to learn to think IN Spanish and understand from that perspective, and not try to attribute English meanings to Spanish phrases/sentences. It's the superior language anyway.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

It's the superior language anyway.

That depends on who uses them, and how.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by laepelba

It's the superior language anyway.

Originally Posted by Perikles

That depends on who uses them, and how.

True, true. I will revise my statement. For the majority of us mere mortals, Spanish is the superior language. Then there are some Athenian VIP's for whom English is the obvious choice................

[Facu]

Yo lo traduciría asi:

"The point is the speed in which I' learn spanish"

[laepelba]

(Facu ... for "Facundo"? I was in BsAs this summer, and read bits and pieces (muy pocos) of Sarmiento's novel......)

Interesting that you think of that differently ... so, to say something like, "The main thing is the speed........."? Hmmm....

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Lou Ann: "lo bueno" has certainly a slight implicit idea of a superlative, so Facu's proposal may be valid as well, although maybe for such approach I would prefer "lo mejor es...".

[aleCcowaN]

In my opinion most precise translation is that provided by Perikles in post #2 (the good thing is how quickly I am learning Spanish), but it's not 100%, just 95%, so others in an effort to translate it completely have offered alternatives, some good and some literal for the sake of grammar analysis.

But "lo rápido" is sort of Spanish equivalent to English "How'a ya? I'm good!" because its meant as and adverb but it was replaced by the adjective and nominalized. But it's not wrong in colloquial speech.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

equivalent to English "How'a ya? I'm good!" .

I can't even call that English! Are you saying lo rápido is on the same kind of level?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I wouldn't say so... It is true that many people use adjectives instead of adverbs sometimes, but "lo" + "adjective" is a valid structure.

Lo maravilloso es que hayan sobrevivido al accidente.
Sobrevivieron maravillosamente al accidente.

Me impresiona lo rápido que aprendes.
Aprendes tan rápidamente, que me impresiona.
Aprendes tan rápido, que me impresiona.


A wrong structure, similar to that "I'm good" in English, is a new fashion that can be heard in TV lately:

"Entiendo perfecto lo que me dices", which should be "Entiendo perfectamente lo que me dices".

[aleCcowaN]

But "rápido" also means "rápidamente" (Source)

Many Spanish adjectives have been turned into adverbs by used and some of them have entered the dictionary. Of course "lo rápido que aprendo" is good Spanish and it is far from "I'm good" or "a whole nother", but I'm saying that formal language tend to avoid it, or it incorporates it in modern uses. Looking for sources, in the few I found (including Ciro Alegría and Noble Prize awarded Miguel Ángel Asturias) you can hardly tell if "rápido" is and adjective or an adverb.