Lo + Possessive Pronoun: Talk about someone's own business

Hola Armando

The use of "lo" + a possessive pronoun (e.g., "lo mío", "lo tuyo") in Spanish serves to denote something that belongs to or is associated with oneself or another person, often referring to interests, possessions, or matters that concern that individual.

When you're talking about someone "minding their own business" in the sense of not interfering in others' affairs, the expression does indeed lean towards the idea of not being "entrometido" or "metiche" (both words mean 'nosy' or 'meddlesome' in English).

However, the context is key to understanding whether the phrase is being used to talk about non-interference in others' affairs or simply referring to personal interests or belongings.

• Talking about personal interests or belongings: In the context of your antecedent ("la pintura no es lo mío"), the phrase is being used to express a lack of interest or affinity towards something. "Lo mío" here refers to one's interests or talents. The phrase suggests that painting is not among the speaker's personal interests or talents.

• Minding one's own business: If the context were different and someone said, for example, "Él siempre está en lo suyo y nunca se mete en lo de los demás", it would imply that the person tends to his own affairs and does not interfere in others' matters. Here, "estar en lo suyo" can be interpreted as focusing on one's own business or activities, which aligns more closely with the concept of not being "entrometido" or "metiche."

So, in summary, whether the phrase leans more towards talking about personal interests or minding one's own business depends greatly on the context in which it is used. In the context of discussing personal affinities or belongings (like your example with painting), it's about interests or personal relevance. In other contexts, it could indeed suggest a focus on one's own matters to the exclusion of interfering in others' affairs.

Hasta pronto

Silvia