Table of Contents

• What Are Relative Pronouns, Anyway?
• The Superstar: `Que` (That, Which, Who)
  • Using `Que` for Things
  • Using `Que` for People
• For People Only: `Quien` / `Quienes` (Who, Whom)
  • 1. After a Preposition
  • 2. In Non-Restrictive Clauses (The "Extra Info" Clause)
• The Specific Ones: `El que`, `La que`, `Los que`, `Las que`
  • 1. After Prepositions
  • 2. To Provide Clarity
  • 3. As the Subject (Meaning "The one who...")
• The Abstract Idea: `Lo que` (What, The thing that)
• Summary & Common Mistakes
  • Watch Out for These Common Pitfalls:
• Let's Practice!
  • Answers

A Complete Guide to Spanish Relative Pronouns: Que, Quien, El que & Lo que

Ever find yourself stringing together short, choppy sentences in Spanish? You say things like, "I have a friend. The friend lives in Argentina. The friend is a musician." It gets the point across, but it doesn't sound very natural, does it?

This is where Spanish relative pronouns come to the rescue! These little connector words are the secret to sounding more fluent and creating complex, elegant sentences. They act like bridges, linking ideas together smoothly.

In this guide, we'll break down the "fantastic four" of Spanish relative pronouns: que, quien, el que, and lo que. By the end, you'll know exactly which one to use and when, taking your Spanish from choppy to chic. ¡Vamos!

Relative pronouns act like bridges, connecting separate ideas into smooth sentences

What Are Relative Pronouns, Anyway?

Don't let the grammar term scare you. A relative pronoun is just a word that introduces a little snippet of extra information (a relative clause) about something you've already mentioned (the antecedent).

In English, our main relative pronouns are "that," "which," "who," and "whom."

Think about it like this:

• Two separate ideas: I read a book. The book was interesting.
• Connected with a relative pronoun: I read a book that was interesting.

See how much smoother that is? The word "that" connects the two ideas and refers back to "the book." Spanish relative pronouns do the exact same job. Let's meet the team.

The Superstar: Que (That, Which, Who)

If you only remember one relative pronoun, make it que. It's the most common, most versatile, and your absolute go-to in most situations. Think of it as the Swiss Army knife of Spanish grammar.

Que can refer to both people and things.

Using Que for Things

This is its most frequent use. You'll use it to connect a description to an object, place, or idea.

• La <VocabHighlight translation="house">casa</VocabHighlight> **que** compramos está en el centro. (The house that we bought is downtown.)
• ¿Has visto la <VocabHighlight translation="movie">película</VocabHighlight> **que** te recomendé? (Have you seen the movie that I recommended to you?)
• Me encanta el <VocabHighlight translation="park">parque</VocabHighlight> **que** tiene un lago. (I love the park that has a lake.)

Using Que for People

You can also use que to refer to people, just like "who" or "that" in English.

• El <VocabHighlight translation="man">hombre</VocabHighlight> **que** trabaja aquí es muy amable. (The man who works here is very kind.)
• Conozco a la <VocabHighlight translation="girl">chica</VocabHighlight> **que** está hablando con Juan. (I know the girl that is talking with Juan.)

Time for a quick check!

Using 'quien' helps us specify who we are talking about in conversation

For People Only: Quien / Quienes (Who, Whom)

Now let's get a bit more specific. Quien is the specialist. It has one job and one job only: to refer to people. It has a singular form (quien) and a plural form (quienes).

While que can refer to people, there are two specific situations where quien is preferred or required.

1. After a Preposition

This is the most important rule for quien. If you're referring to a person and the relative pronoun comes after a preposition like a, con, de, en, or para, you must use quien or quienes.

• La mujer **con quien** hablé es mi jefa. (The woman with whom I spoke is my boss.)
• Mis <VocabHighlight translation="friends">amigos</VocabHighlight>, **a quienes** invité a la fiesta, llegan tarde. (My friends, whom I invited to the party, are arriving late.)
• Es el <VocabHighlight translation="student">estudiante</VocabHighlight> **para quien** es este libro. (He's the student for whom this book is.)

2. In Non-Restrictive Clauses (The "Extra Info" Clause)

This sounds technical, but it's simple. It's when you add extra, non-essential information set off by commas. In these "by the way" type clauses, using quien sounds a bit more formal and elegant than que.

• Mi vecino, **quien** es de Argentina, prepara un asado increíble. (My neighbor, who is from Argentina, makes an incredible barbecue.)
• Los <VocabHighlight translation="artists">artistas</VocabHighlight>, **quienes** ganaron el premio, darán una entrevista. (The artists, who won the prize, will give an interview.)

In these cases, que would also be grammatically correct, but quien adds a touch of style.

Let's test your quien knowledge.

The Specific Ones: El que, La que, Los que, Las que

These guys are a step up in specificity. Think of them as meaning "the one that," "the one who," or "the ones that/who." They are a combination of the definite article (el, la, los, las) and que.

The key here is that they must agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.

1. After Prepositions

Like quien, this group is often used after prepositions. While you can often use que after short prepositions (en, de, con), el que and its forms are preferred for clarity, especially after longer prepositions.

• La <VocabHighlight translation="box">caja</VocabHighlight> **en la que** guardo mis recuerdos es muy vieja. (The box in which I keep my memories is very old.)
• Este es el <VocabHighlight translation="reason">motivo</VocabHighlight> **por el que** no fui a la fiesta. (This is the reason for which I didn't go to the party.)

When referring to people, con quien and con el que are often interchangeable.

• El hombre con el que hablé...
• El hombre con quien hablé...

2. To Provide Clarity

Sometimes, a sentence can be ambiguous. El que and its friends are fantastic for clearing up confusion.

Imagine saying: Hablé con la hija del profesor, que vive en Chile. Who lives in Chile? The daughter (la hija) or the professor (el profesor)? It's unclear!

Now watch this: Hablé con la hija del profesor, **la que** vive en Chile.

Aha! By using la que, which is feminine and singular, we make it crystal clear that we're talking about the daughter.

3. As the Subject (Meaning "The one who...")

You can also use these pronouns to start a clause, where they act as the subject.

• **El que** no practica, no aprende. (He who doesn't practice, doesn't learn. / The one who doesn't practice doesn't learn.)
• **Las que** llegaron primero consiguieron los mejores asientos. (The ones who arrived first got the best seats.)

Lo que' helps us express abstract ideas and concepts that don't have a specific gender or number

The Abstract Idea: Lo que (What, The thing that)

Last but not least, we have lo que. This one is special because it's neuter. It doesn't refer to a specific masculine or feminine noun. Instead, it refers to an idea, a concept, a situation, or something that was just said.

Think of lo que as meaning "what," "the thing that," or "that which."

• **Lo que** dices es muy interesante. (What you're saying is very interesting.)
• No puedo creer **lo que** vi. (I can't believe what I saw.)
• La paciencia es **lo que** necesitas. (Patience is what you need.)
• Llegué tarde, **lo que** molestó al profesor. (I arrived late, which annoyed the teacher. Here, "lo que" refers to the whole situation of arriving late).

Ready to try lo que?

Summary & Common Mistakes

Feeling a bit dizzy? Let's recap with a quick cheat sheet.

• Que: The all-purpose pronoun. Use for people and things. Your default choice.
• Quien(es): Use for people only, mainly after prepositions (con, a, de) or in clauses with commas.
• El que, La que, etc.: "The one that/who." Use after prepositions for clarity, or to clear up ambiguity. Must agree in gender/number.
• Lo que: "What" or "the thing that." Refers to abstract ideas, concepts, or situations, not specific nouns.

Watch Out for These Common Pitfalls:

1. Using que for a person after a preposition.
   • Incorrect: La persona a **que** le di el regalo...
   • Correct: La persona a **quien** le di el regalo...
2. Forgetting the plural s on quienes and los/las que.
   • Incorrect: Los chicos con **quien** juego al fútbol...
   • Correct: Los chicos con **quienes** juego al fútbol...
3. Mixing up que and lo que.
   • Incorrect: Repite **que** dijiste, por favor.
   • Correct: Repite **lo que** dijiste, por favor.

Let's Practice!

Ready to put it all together? Fill in the blanks with que, quien, el que, la que, los que, las que, or lo que.

1. El libro ____ estoy leyendo es de mi autor favorito.
2. Mi hermana, ____ es abogada, vive en Barcelona.
3. No me gustó nada ____ dijo el político en las noticias.
4. Los amigos con ____ fui de vacaciones son de Italia.
5. ¿Ves esas dos casas? La roja es ____ me gustaría comprar.

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(Scroll down for answers)

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Answers

1. que (Refers to a thing, "el libro")
2. quien (Refers to a person in a non-restrictive clause with commas)
3. lo que (Refers to an idea/what was said)
4. quienes (Refers to people after a preposition, and it's plural)
5. la que (Refers to a specific thing, "la casa," meaning "the one that")

Mastering these four relative pronouns is a huge step forward in your Spanish journey. It allows you to build more complex and natural-sounding sentences. Keep listening, keep reading, and keep practicing. You'll be connecting ideas like a pro in no time!