Relative pronouns · que / quien / donde / cuyo
Link two clauses. Default is 'que' for everything; cuyo is 'whose'.
Examples
- El libro que leo.The book (that) I'm reading.
- La casa donde vivo.The house where I live.
- No entiendo lo que dices.I don't understand what you're saying.
How it works
Relative pronouns connect a main clause to a subordinate one.
Que
by far the most common, works for both people and things, after both subjects and direct objects (the person or thing the action is done to), with or without a preposition (in informal speech):
The book (that) I'm reading is interesting.
The girl who came yesterday is Marta.
QUIEN / QUIENES — only for people, often after prepositions (more formal):
The teacher with whom I'm speaking is new.
The people whom I invited…
Donde
for places (= "where"):
The house where I live is small.
EL/LA/LOS/LAS QUE — for clarity after prepositions, or when "the one(s) that":
The reason for which I came.
Those who study, learn.
Lo que
neuter "what / that which":
I don't understand what you're saying.
What I like is chocolate.
CUYO / CUYA / CUYOS / CUYAS — "whose". It agrees with the noun right after it (the thing owned), never with the owner before it, and takes no article:
The man whose house we saw is my uncle. (cuya: la casa)
The girl whose father is a doctor lives here. (cuyo: el padre)
The woman whose children study here is French.
What you'll practise
1. que (default for things and people)
Use que after both subjects and direct objects (the person or thing the action is done to).
- El coche que tengo.The car (that) I have.
- La chica que viene.The girl who is coming.
2. donde (for places)
Use donde for 'where' clauses about places.
- El parque donde juego.The park where I play.
- La ciudad donde vivo.The city where I live.
3. lo que (neuter 'what')
Use lo que for 'what / that which' (no specific noun antecedent).
- No sé lo que quieres.I don't know what you want.
- Eso es lo que pienso.That's what I think.
4. cuyo / cuya / cuyos / cuyas ('whose')
cuyo means 'whose'. It agrees with the noun right after it (the thing owned), not with the owner before it: el hombre cuya casa, la chica cuyo padre. No article after it.
- El libro cuyo autor conozco.The book whose author I know.
- La mujer cuyos hijos estudian aquí.The woman whose children study here.
Practise it until it sticks
Short drills built on these 4 skills, with instant feedback on every answer. Free to start.