Look at the sentence below. Why do we use the direct object pronoun lo to replace - helado- ice cream.
Yo compro el helado.
Yo ___lo___ compro.
There are two reasons. Think of feminine, masculine, singular, plural.
Chart: Direct Object Pronouns lo - it (m), los - them (m), la - it (f), las - them (f)
We use the direct object pronoun "lo" to replace "helado" because "helado" is a masculine singular noun. Therefore, we use the direct object pronoun "lo" to refer to it. Additionally, the direct object pronoun "lo" is used because it is being directly acted upon by the verb "compro" (I buy).
We use the direct object pronoun "lo" to replace the noun "helado" (ice cream) in the sentence "Yo compro el helado" for two reasons: gender and number.
First, when replacing a masculine singular noun, we use the direct object pronoun "lo." In this case, "helado" is singular and masculine, so we use "lo" to replace it.
Second, the chart you provided shows that "lo" is used to replace "it" for masculine singular objects. "Los" is used for masculine plural objects, "la" is used for feminine singular objects, and "las" is used for feminine plural objects.
Therefore, in the sentence "Yo compro el helado," we replace "el helado" with the direct object pronoun "lo" to form "Yo lo compro." This means "I buy it" or "I buy the ice cream."