How to Say "whom" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “whom” is “quien” — use 'quien' when 'whom' refers to a person and immediately follows a preposition like 'con', 'para', 'a', or 'de'..
quien
/kyen//ˈkjen/
Examples
La mujer con quien hablé es mi jefa.
The woman with whom I spoke is my boss.
Mi hermano, quien es médico, vive en Bogotá.
My brother, who is a doctor, lives in Bogota.
Ella es la persona con quien hablé ayer.
She is the person with whom I spoke yesterday.
Fueron mis amigos quienes me ayudaron con la mudanza.
It was my friends who helped me with the move.
Only for People
Think of quien as meaning 'that person who'. It's only ever used to refer to human beings. For objects, places, or ideas, you'll almost always use que.
Singular vs. Plural: `quien` vs. `quienes`
If you're talking about just one person, use quien. If you're talking about two or more people, it changes to quienes. Example: 'Los chicos, quienes juegan fútbol...'
A Favorite After Short Words (Prepositions)
Quien is the go-to word after little connecting words like a (to), con (with), de (from), and para (for) when you're referring to a person. Example: 'La mujer para quien trabajo...'
Using `que` instead of `quien` after prepositions
Mistake: “La persona con que hablé es de Argentina.”
Correction: La persona con *quien* hablé es de Argentina. After a short word like 'con' that refers to a person, Spanish strongly prefers using `quien`.
Forgetting the plural `quienes`
Mistake: “Los turistas, quien visitaron el museo, estaban felices.”
Correction: Los turistas, *quienes* visitaron el museo, estaban felices. Since 'turistas' is plural (more than one person), you need to use the plural form `quienes`.
Using `quien` for things
Mistake: “El coche, quien es rojo, es muy rápido.”
Correction: El coche, *que* es rojo, es muy rápido. `Quien` is for people only! For an object like 'el coche' (the car), you must use `que`.
quienes
/kye-nays//ˈkje.nes/
Examples
Los estudiantes, para quienes preparé la lección, llegaron temprano.
The students, for whom I prepared the lesson, arrived early.
Los doctores, **quienes** trabajan en la noche, necesitan más descanso.
The doctors, **who** work at night, need more rest.
Ellos son los amigos **a quienes** dediqué mi libro.
They are the friends **to whom** I dedicated my book.
Había muchas personas, pero solo unos pocos eran **quienes** sabían la respuesta.
There were many people, but only a few were **those who** knew the answer.
People Only
Quienes always refers only to groups of people (never things or animals). It is the plural version of quien.
When to Use Quienes
You must use quienes (or quien) instead of the more common que when referring to people after a preposition (like a, con, de, para, por).
Using 'Que' for People After Prepositions
Mistake: “Los clientes con que hablé.”
Correction: Los clientes **con quienes** hablé. (Or, less formally, *con los que*). Always use *quienes* after a preposition when referring to people.
Singular vs. Plural
Related Translations
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