qui (pronom relatif)

Relative Pronoun Qui (Subject)

Level 2

Use qui to connect two sentences by replacing a repeated subject. It works for both people and things and is almost always followed by a verb.

How It Works

The relative pronoun qui is a fundamental tool in French used to combine sentences and avoid repetition.

1. Grammatical Function
In a relative clause, qui serves as the subject. This means it is the 'doer' of the action in that specific clause. Because it is a subject, it is typically followed immediately by a verb or an object pronoun (like me, te, lui) + a verb.

2. People vs. Things
A common misconception is that qui is only for people. In reality, qui is 'animacy-blind.' It translates to 'who' for people and 'which' or 'that' for objects and animals:

  • L'homme qui parle... (The man who speaks...)
  • Le livre qui est sur la table... (The book that is on the table...)

3. No Elision
Unlike que or the general rule of Elision before a vowel sound, qui never drops its 'i'. Even if the next word starts with a vowel, it remains qui (e.g., l'ami qui habite).

4. Verb Agreement
The verb following qui must be conjugated to match the noun qui replaced. This is especially important with pronouns:

  • C'est moi qui suis... (It is I who am...)
  • C'est nous qui avons... (It is we who have...)

5. Never Omitted
In English, we often drop the relative pronoun (e.g., 'The man I saw' or 'The book I read'). In French, you can never omit the relative pronoun. Qui must always be present to link the clauses.

Examples (5)

  1. Je connais une fille qui parle cinq langues.

    I know a girl who speaks five languages.

    Word by Word: I know a girl who speaks five languages.

    Here, 'qui' replaces 'la fille' as the subject of the verb 'parle'.

  2. C'est un film qui est très intéressant.

    It's a movie that is very interesting.

    Word by Word: It is a movie which is very interesting.

    This shows 'qui' used for an object (the movie). It functions as the subject of 'est'.

  3. Les étudiants qui étudient réussissent.

    The students who study succeed.

    Word by Word: The students who study succeed.

    The verb 'étudient' is plural because 'qui' refers to the plural 'les étudiants'.

  4. C'est toi qui as raison.

    It is you who are right.

    Word by Word: It is you who has reason.

    The verb 'as' (from avoir) agrees with 'toi' (the 2nd person singular).

  5. Le chien qui aboie appartient à mon voisin.

    The dog that is barking belongs to my neighbor.

    Word by Word: The dog which barks belongs to my neighbor.

    'Qui' can refer to animals as well as people or things.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'qu'' before a vowel.

    L'homme qu'habite ici est gentil.
    L'homme qui habite ici est gentil.

    Unlike 'que', the relative pronoun 'qui' never undergoes elision. You must keep the 'i' even before a vowel or a mute 'h'.

  • Using 'que' for objects and 'qui' only for people.

    La voiture que est rouge est à moi.
    La voiture qui est rouge est à moi.

    The choice between 'qui' and 'que' depends on grammar (subject vs. object), not on whether the noun is a person or a thing. Since 'la voiture' is the subject of 'est', you must use 'qui'.

  • Failing to agree the verb with the antecedent.

    C'est moi qui est là.
    C'est moi qui suis là.

    The verb after 'qui' must agree with the noun or pronoun it replaces. Since 'qui' replaces 'moi' (1st person), the verb must be 'suis', not 'est'.

How It Connects

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qui (pronom relatif)Level 2Relative Pronoun Qui (Subject)

Learn This First

To understand the relative pronoun 'qui', a learner must first grasp basic French sentence structure (SVO) and the role of a subject. Since 'qui' acts as the subject of the relative clause, the learner needs to be comfortable with subject pronouns and basic verb conjugation to ensure the verb following 'qui' is correctly formed.

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qui