Spanish · B2 · Everyday language
Every Little Sound Delights Me in Spanish
Focus on responding warmly to your baby's discoveries and behaviors. This guide highlights 'sentential relative clauses'—phrases that refer back to an entire situation or event rather than just a single object.
What you'll learn
- Learn to use 'lo que' and 'lo cual' to refer to whole actions.
- Express emotional reactions to a baby's sounds and movements.
- Practice complex sentence structures suitable for CEFR B2 level in a parenting context.
Spanish phrases for every little sound delights me
Buscaste mi mano, lo que me hizo sonreír.
You reached for my hand, which made me smile.
'Lo que' is used here to refer to the whole act of reaching.
Dijiste algo como 'mamá', lo cual me hizo muy feliz.
You said something like 'mama', which made me very happy.
'Lo cual' is a slightly more formal alternative to 'lo que'.
Tu cuchara se cayó al suelo, lo que nos sorprendió a los dos.
Your spoon fell onto the floor, which surprised us both.
'A los dos' emphasizes 'both of us'.
Te apartaste de la cuchara, lo que me dice que tal vez ya has comido suficiente.
You turned away from the spoon, which tells me you may have had enough.
A natural way to interpret a baby's cues.
Te apoyaste en mi hombro, lo cual hizo nuestro abrazo aún más tierno.
You settled against my shoulder, which made our cuddle even lovelier.
'Tierno' translates well to lovely/tender in this context.
Dejó de llover antes de nuestro paseo, lo que fue una grata sorpresa.
The rain stopped before our walk, which was a lovely surprise.
'Grata sorpresa' is a common collocation for a pleasant surprise.
Me salpicaste la manga, lo que me hizo reír.
You splashed my sleeve, which made me laugh.
'Salpicar' is the specific verb for splashing.
Te despertaste más temprano de lo habitual, lo que significa que tenemos un poco más de tiempo juntos.
You woke earlier than usual, which means we have a little more time together.
'De lo habitual' is a sophisticated way to say 'than usual'.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
lo que / lo cual
which (referring to a situation)
Unlike English, Spanish requires the neuter article 'lo' before the relative pronoun when referring to a preceding clause.
apoyarse
to lean/settle against
Reflexive verb used for physical positioning.
hacer + [infinitivo]
to make [someone] [verb]
Used to express causation, e.g., 'me hizo reír' (it made me laugh).
Sentential Relative Clauses
In English, we use 'which' to refer back to a whole idea. In Spanish, we must use 'lo que' or 'lo cual'. Unlike English, where the verb often goes at the end in some complex structures, Spanish maintains standard SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) order within the relative clause.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Structure | [Clause A], lo que + [Verb]... | Llovió, lo que arruinó el plan. |
| With 'Hacer' | lo que + me hizo + [infinitivo] | Gritaste, lo que me hizo saltar. |
More examples
Balbuceaste mucho hoy, lo cual me encanta.
You babbled a lot today, which I love.
A simple way to show affection for their efforts to speak.
Agarraste mi dedo con fuerza, lo que me demuestra cuánto has crecido.
You gripped my finger tightly, which shows me how much you have grown.
Using 'lo que' to reflect on the baby's development.