Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns (pronombres relativos) connect a dependent clause to a main clause, providing additional information about a noun. They are essential for building complex, natural-sounding sentences in Spanish.
Why Relative Pronouns Matter
Without relative pronouns, you would need separate sentences:
- Tengo un amigo. El amigo vive en Madrid.
With a relative pronoun, you combine them:
- Tengo un amigo que vive en Madrid. — I have a friend who lives in Madrid.
This makes your Spanish more fluent and sophisticated.
The Main Relative Pronouns
| Pronoun | English Equivalent | Usage |
|---|
| que | that, which, who | Most common; used for people and things |
| quien / quienes | who, whom | For people; especially after prepositions |
| el que / la que / los que / las que | the one who, the one that | For people or things; adds specificity |
| el cual / la cual / los cuales / las cuales | which, who | Formal; used after prepositions or for clarity |
| lo que | what, that which | Refers to ideas or unspecified things |
| donde | where | Refers to places |
| cuyo / cuya / cuyos / cuyas | whose | Indicates possession |
Que — The Most Common Relative Pronoun
Que is by far the most frequently used relative pronoun in Spanish. It can refer to both people and things and functions as subject or direct object of the relative clause:
As Subject
- El hombre que habla es mi profesor. — The man who speaks is my teacher.
- La casa que está en la esquina es mía. — The house that is on the corner is mine.
- Los libros que están en la mesa son nuevos. — The books that are on the table are new.
As Direct Object
- La película que vi ayer fue excelente. — The film (that) I saw yesterday was excellent.
- El libro que compraste es interesante. — The book (that) you bought is interesting.
Important: Unlike English, you cannot omit que in Spanish. In English you can say "The book I bought," but in Spanish you must say "El libro que compré."
After Short Prepositions
Que can be used after the short prepositions a, con, de, and en when referring to things:
- La casa en que vivo es grande. — The house (that) I live in is big.
- El tema de que hablamos es importante. — The topic (that) we talked about is important.
Quien / Quienes — For People
Quien (singular) and quienes (plural) refer exclusively to people. They are primarily used:
After Prepositions
- La mujer con quien trabajo es simpática. — The woman with whom I work is nice.
- Los amigos a quienes invité no vinieron. — The friends whom I invited didn't come.
- La persona de quien te hablé está aquí. — The person about whom I told you is here.
In Non-Restrictive Clauses (with commas)
- Mi hermana, quien vive en Barcelona, viene mañana. — My sister, who lives in Barcelona, is coming tomorrow.
- Los estudiantes, quienes trabajaron duro, aprobaron. — The students, who worked hard, passed.
Tip: In non-restrictive clauses (extra information set off by commas), you can use either que or quien for people. Que is more common in everyday speech.
El Que / La Que / Los Que / Las Que
These compound relative pronouns add specificity and can be used for both people and things:
After Prepositions (Especially Longer Ones)
- La empresa para la que trabajo es internacional. — The company for which I work is international.
- El parque por el que caminamos es bonito. — The park through which we walked is beautiful.
- Las personas con las que viajo son divertidas. — The people with whom I travel are fun.
Meaning "The One(s) Who/That"
- El que estudia, aprueba. — The one who studies, passes.
- Los que llegaron tarde no pudieron entrar. — Those who arrived late couldn't enter.
- La que me gusta es la roja. — The one I like is the red one.
El Cual / La Cual / Los Cuales / Las Cuales
These are the most formal relative pronouns. They are used:
After Longer or Compound Prepositions
- La razón por la cual no vine es personal. — The reason for which I didn't come is personal.
- La casa dentro de la cual encontraron el tesoro. — The house inside of which they found the treasure.
For Clarity When the Antecedent Could Be Ambiguous