Phrase · ❓ Checking understanding and clarifying
Lo que no entiendo es por qué cambiaron la fecha.
What I don’t understand is why they changed the date.
B1asking for clarificationAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Lo1determinerwhat (the)el · definiteque1pronounthatnoadverbnotentiendoverbI understandentender · present · 1st sing.es1verbisser · present · 3rd sing.por2preposition(why)qué2pronounwhy (what)cambiaron3verbthey changedcambiar · past · 3rd pl.ladeterminertheel · fem. · sing. · definitefechanoundatefem. · sing..
- Lo → que: lo que = what
- Lo → es: lo que … es
- por → qué: por qué = why
- la → fecha: f. sg.
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Lo que … es + question word: it highlights the exact point you don’t get. Relative clauses I: que, quien, donde, lo que →
- 2por qué = why: two words and an accent, also in indirect questions (porque = because). Reported speech I and indirect questions →
- 3cambiaron: 3rd person plural with no subject = ‘they’, whoever is in charge. Impersonal and passive se; reciprocal se →
Variations
- Lo que no me queda claro es por qué cambiaron la fecha.
- No entiendo por qué cambiaron la fecha.