Relative Pronouns Flashcards
Relative Pronouns
Que vs Quien
Que can refer to both people and things.
In either the subject or object position.
Quien is only used to refer to people
Subject vs Object
**El hombre que es pobre … **
The man who is poor …
**Los libros que son extensos … **
The books which are long …
**La señorita que conocí … **
The young lady whom I met …
**La carta que leíste … **
The letter that you read …
El hombre que es pobre … (person, subject)
The man who is poor …
Los libros que son extensos … (thing, subject)
The books which are long …
La señorita que conocí … (person, object)
The young lady whom I met …
La carta que leíste … (thing, object)
The letter that you read …
Que vs Quien
When a relative pronoun refers to a person and is in the direct object position
Use either que or a quien.
Notice the personal a is used with quien but not used with que.
How many forms of Cuyo?
4 - Cuyo, Cuya, Cuyos, Cuyas
La niña, cuyo padre es profesor, es muy simpática.
The girl, whose father is a professor, is very nice.
El hombre, cuya madre murió, escribió su biografía.
The man, whose mother died, wrote her biography.
El coche, cuyos faros no funcionan, es un peligro.
The car, whose lights do not work, is a danger.
Pedro, cuyas hermanas son guapas, es mi amigo.
Pedro, whose sisters are beautiful, is my friend.
Note the adjective agrees in number and gender with the thing being owned not the owner.
When a relative pronoun occurs after a preposition and refers to a person
Quien must be used.
After a preposition que is only used to refer to things.
When to use Relative Pronoun Cuyo?
When the relative pronoun relates the owner to that which is owned.
Similar to English “whose”.
Can a sentence end in a preposition?
Never
Four forms of relative pronoun el que
Used to refer to both people and things
el que
la que
los que
las que
Mi tía, la que es profesora, viene a visitarme hoy día.
My aunt, the one who is a professor, is coming to visit me today.
Las mesas, las que son de plástico, son baratas.
The tables, the ones that are made of plastic, are cheap.
Mi tío, el que es taxista, llegará pronto.
My uncle, the one who is a taxi driver, will arrive soon.
Mis pantalones, los que son viejos, son muy cómodos.
My pants, the ones that are old, are very comfortable.
When the relative pronoun refers to an abstract idea
Use lo que
Lo que quieres no existe.
That which you want does not exist.
No comprendo lo que ocurre.
I do not understand that which is happening.
