Relative Pronouns (qui, que, dont, où)

Relative pronouns connect two clauses by referring back to a noun in the first clause (the antecedent). They are essential for building complex, natural-sounding sentences. French has four main relative pronouns: qui, que, dont, and où.

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Qui — Subject of the Relative Clause

Qui replaces the subject of the relative clause. It answers "who" or "which/that" when referring to the doer of the action:

• L'homme qui parle est mon professeur. — The man who is speaking is my teacher.
• Le livre qui est sur la table est à moi. — The book that is on the table is mine.
• J'ai un ami qui habite à Tokyo. — I have a friend who lives in Tokyo.
• La voiture qui est garée devant est rouge. — The car that is parked in front is red.

Tip: After qui, the verb agrees with the antecedent (the noun qui refers to):

• C'est moi qui suis responsable. (NOT qui est)
• C'est toi qui as raison. (NOT qui a)

Qui never loses its vowel before another vowel: L'homme qui arrive... (NOT qu'arrive)

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