B1 Spanish GrammarRelative Clauses
Master Spanish relative clauses using que, quien, el cual, cuyo, and donde to add information about nouns. Learn when to use each relative pronoun and understand the difference between defining and non-defining clauses. Create sophisticated, flowing sentences.
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1The Relative Pronoun 'que'
Que is the most common Spanish relative pronoun, meaning 'that', 'which', 'who', or 'whom'. It refers to both people and things. Que never changes form regardless of gender or number. It's used in both defining (essential) and non-defining (extra info) clauses.
Using 'que' for People and Things
| Antecedent | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Person | La mujer que trabaja aquĂ | The woman who works here |
| Thing | El libro que compré | The book (that) I bought |
| Place | La casa que vimos | The house (that) we saw |
| Idea | Todo lo que dijiste | Everything (that) you said |
Examples
El hombre que llegĂł es mi tĂo.
The man who arrived is my uncle.
que for people as subject
La pelĂcula que vimos fue excelente.
The movie (that) we saw was excellent.
que for things as object
Los estudiantes que estudian pasan.
The students who study pass.
defining clause - essential info
Mi madre, que es doctora, me ayudĂł.
My mother, who is a doctor, helped me.
non-defining with commas
2Quien and Quienes
Quien (singular) and quienes (plural) refer only to people, never things. They're required after prepositions (a quien, con quien, para quienes). They can replace que in non-defining clauses but sound more formal. In defining clauses, que is preferred.
Quien vs Que for People
| Context | Preferred | Example |
|---|---|---|
| After preposition | quien | la persona con quien hablé |
| Defining clause | que | el chico que conocĂ |
| Non-defining (formal) | quien | Ana, quien vive aquĂ,... |
| Non-defining (common) | que | Ana, que vive aquĂ,... |
Examples
La mujer con quien trabajo es amable.
The woman with whom I work is kind.
quien required after preposition
Los amigos a quienes invité no vinieron.
The friends whom I invited didn't come.
quienes plural after 'a'
Mi hermano, quien vive en Madrid, vendrá.
My brother, who lives in Madrid, will come.
formal non-defining clause
Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta.
He who grasps much, holds little.
quien without antecedent (proverb)
3El cual, La cual, Los cuales, Las cuales
El cual forms agree in gender and number with their antecedent. They're used after prepositions (especially compound ones like detrás de, encima de) and in formal writing. They help clarify which noun is being referenced when there's ambiguity.
Forms of 'el cual'
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | el cual | los cuales |
| Feminine | la cual | las cuales |
| Neuter | lo cual | - |
lo cual refers to entire ideas, not specific nouns
Examples
La ventana detrás de la cual estaba el gato...
The window behind which the cat was...
after compound preposition
LlegĂł tarde, lo cual me molestĂł.
He arrived late, which annoyed me.
lo cual refers to whole situation
Los libros, los cuales compré ayer, son buenos.
The books, which I bought yesterday, are good.
formal non-defining clause
La razĂłn por la cual vine es clara.
The reason for which I came is clear.
after 'por' in formal register
4Cuyo and Donde
Cuyo means 'whose' and agrees with the thing possessed, not the possessor (cuyo libro = whose book, cuya casa = whose house). Donde means 'where' and replaces 'en que' for places. Adonde is used with verbs of motion.
Cuyo Agreement
| Possessed noun | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masc. sing. | cuyo | el hombre cuyo coche... |
| fem. sing. | cuya | la mujer cuya hija... |
| masc. plural | cuyos | el autor cuyos libros... |
| fem. plural | cuyas | la casa cuyas ventanas... |
Examples
El escritor cuyo libro leĂ es famoso.
The writer whose book I read is famous.
cuyo agrees with 'libro' (masc.)
La ciudad donde nacà es pequeña.
The city where I was born is small.
donde for places
El paĂs adonde viajamos era hermoso.
The country where we traveled was beautiful.
adonde with motion verb
La familia cuyas tradiciones respeto...
The family whose traditions I respect...
cuyas agrees with 'tradiciones' (fem. pl.)
Practice Exercises
5 exercises
Complete: 'El libro ___ compré es interesante.' (The book that I bought is interesting.)
Complete: 'La mujer con ___ hablé es mi profesora.' (The woman with whom I spoke is my teacher.)
Complete: 'El hombre ___ hijo es mĂ©dico vive aquĂ.' (The man whose son is a doctor lives here.)
Complete: 'La ciudad ___ nacà es pequeña.' (The city where I was born is small.)
Complete: 'Vi a MarĂa, ___ trabaja en el banco.' (I saw MarĂa, who works at the bank.)
See Real Examples in Stories
Now that you've practiced, see this grammar in context
“Sarah prometiĂł, sabiendo que serĂa difĂcil mantener un contacto tan cercano.”
“La gerente preguntĂł si habĂa algo más que pudiera hacer.”
“Escribà cada paso que necesitaba dar, desde el aperitivo hasta el postre.”
“Cada mañana llegaba a la oficina antes que nadie.”
Practice with B1 Stories
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