Free Relatives: quen / o que

Free Relatives: Quen and O Que

Level 5

Some relative words need no noun before them. Quen means whoever or the person who, and o que means what: O que dixo é certo (what he said is true).

How It Works

Relative clauses with no antecedent

A normal relative clause describes a noun: a persoa que chegou. In a free relative, the noun is missing and the relative word carries the meaning itself.

  • quen = whoever, the person who. It refers only to people and is always singular: Quen o sabe é a miña avoa. See relative quen.
  • o que = what, the thing that: O que dixo é certo. For people or specific things, use the article that agrees: os que queiran. See o que, a que, os que.
  • onde = wherever, the place where: Podes durmir onde queiras. See relative onde.
  • cando = whenever: Farémolo cando ti digas.
  • como = however, the way that: Faino como queiras.
  • canto, canta, cantos, cantas = all that, as much as: Deulle canto tiña (he gave her everything he had).

Choosing the mood

If the clause refers to someone or something real and known, use the indicative: O que dixo é certo. If the reference is open or not yet known, which is common when you talk about the future, use the subjunctive: Quen queira, que veña; Quen chegue primeiro gaña o premio. Do not use the future indicative for this open meaning. This is the same rule as the subjunctive in relative clauses.

Quen or o que?

Use quen for people in general and o que for things and ideas. In a free relative, English "what" is o que, never plain que; plain que asks a question: Que dixo? For an explicit "anyone" or "wherever", see calquera and onde queira que.

Pronouns

Relative words pull an unstressed pronoun before the verb: Quen o sabe, o que me dixo.

Examples (6)

  1. Quen queira, que veña.

    Whoever wants to can come.

    Word by Word: Who wants, that comes.

    Queira is present subjunctive because the people meant are not yet known.

  2. O que dixo é certo.

    What he said is true.

    O que means what; the statement is a known fact, so the verb is indicative.

  3. Quen o sabe é a miña avoa.

    The person who knows is my grandmother.

    Quen refers to a person, and the pronoun o goes before the verb.

  4. Podes durmir onde queiras.

    You can sleep wherever you like.

    Onde with no noun before it means wherever; the open choice takes the subjunctive.

  5. Deulle canto tiña.

    He gave her everything he had.

    Canto with no noun before it means all that.

  6. Farémolo cando ti digas.

    We will do it whenever you say.

    Cando with a future reference takes the subjunctive: digas.

Common Mistakes

  • Using plain que for what.

    Que dixo é certo.
    O que dixo é certo.

    With no noun before it, what is o que. Plain que at the start of the sentence would be a question word.

  • Using a plural verb after quen.

    Quen queiran, que veñan.
    Os que queiran, que veñan.

    Quen has no plural form, and here it takes a singular verb: quen queira. For a plural group, use os que or as que.

  • Using the future indicative in an open free relative.

    Quen chegará primeiro gañará o premio.
    Quen chegue primeiro gañará o premio.

    The person is not yet known, so the clause takes the present subjunctive, never the future.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Free Relatives: quen / o queLevel 5Free Relatives: Quen and O Que

Learn This First

A free relative stands for a person, thing or place without an expressed antecedent.

Words in This Pattern

o