# 45. "Que" & "Lo que"

> Source: [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHDZSHCt1DE&t=12168s)

Both `que` and `lo que` can translate as "what" or "that," but they're not interchangeable. `Que` (no accent) acts as the conjunction "that," while `lo que` means "what" (not as a question) and points to an idea or thing in the middle/beginning of a sentence.

## Key Rules
- **`qué`** (with accent) = "what?" in questions.
- **`que`** (no accent) = "that" — joins a main clause to a subordinate clause. In English we sometimes drop "that"; in Spanish, **`que` is required**.
- **`lo que`** = "what" used as a relative pronoun for an abstract idea or unspecified thing. Often appears at the start or middle of a sentence and can be moved without changing meaning.
- Think of `lo que` as "the thing that" / "that which."

## Conjugation / Pattern Tables

### Quick comparison
| Word | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué? | What? | Direct question |
| que | that | Conjunction linking clauses |
| lo que | what / that which | Relative pronoun for abstract things |

## Examples
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo usaré el teléfono que yo compré. | I will use the phone (that) I bought. |
| Él quiere el libro que está en el estante. | He wants the book that is on the shelf. |
| La casa que tú ves es grande. | The house (that) you see is big. |
| Nosotros fuimos a un restaurante que es caro. | We went to a restaurant that is expensive. |
| Ellos harán el trabajo que ellos tienen. | They will do the work (that) they have. |
| Yo he tomado la medicina que el doctor me dio. | I have taken the medicine (that) the doctor gave me. |
| Yo veo que ese hombre está caminando. | I see that that man is walking. |
| Lo que yo quiero es una casa. | What I want is a house. |
| Una casa es lo que yo quiero. | A house is what I want. |
| Tú no sabes lo que tú quieres. | You don't know what you want. |
| Él tiene que hacer lo que él necesita hacer. | He has to do what he needs to do. |
| Lo que ellos necesitan es algo para comer. | What they need is something to eat. |
| Yo no vi lo que tú me diste. | I did not see what you gave me. |
| Para visualmente mostrar lo que yo quiero decir. | To visually show what I want to say. |

## Notes & Gotchas
- "I see **that that** man is walking" → *Yo veo **que ese** hombre…* The first `que` is the conjunction; the second word is `ese`, a demonstrative.
- `Lo que` is movable: *Lo que tú quieres, tú no sabes* = *Tú no sabes lo que tú quieres.*
- `Qué` with accent = the question word ("what"), never use it as a conjunction.