Preposition + Article + que
Prepositions Before Relatives
When the verb in a relative clause needs a preposition, put it before the relative, usually with an article: a cidade na que vivo (the city I live in).
How It Works
The pattern
noun + preposition + article + que + clause. The preposition is the one the verb needs: vivir en, viaxar con, falar de.
- Vivo nesta cidade gives a cidade na que vivo (the city I live in).
- Viaxei co meu amigo gives o amigo co que viaxei (the friend I travelled with).
- Falamos dese tema gives o tema do que falamos (the topic we talked about).
- Non vin por esa razón gives a razón pola que non vin (the reason why I did not come).
Contractions are required. The article contracts exactly as it does before a noun (see de + o, en + o, con + o, por + o).
Without the article. After en, con and de, especially with time and manner, que can also follow the preposition directly: o día en que nacín (the day I was born), o xeito en que o dixo.
Alternatives. For places, onde is common: a casa onde vivo. For people, quen also works: a persoa con quen falei. In formal style, o cal can replace o que: a razón pola cal.
Do not drop the preposition. In casual speech people sometimes say a cidade que vivo, but standard Galician keeps the preposition.
Examples (6)
- Esta é a cidade na que vivo.
This is the city I live in.
Word by Word: This is the city in-the that I-live.
Vivir en: en + a que contracts to na que.
- O amigo co que viaxei é de Ourense.
The friend I travelled with is from Ourense.
Viaxar con: con + o que contracts to co que.
- O tema do que falamos é complicado.
The topic we talked about is complicated.
Falar de: de + o que contracts to do que.
- Esa é a razón pola que non vin.
That is the reason why I did not come.
Por + a que contracts to pola que.
- O día en que nacín chovía moito.
It was raining hard on the day I was born.
With time expressions en que without an article is also common.
- A persoa coa que falei era moi amable.
The person I spoke to was very kind.
Falar con: con + a que = coa que. A persoa con quen falei is also correct.
Common Mistakes
Dropping the preposition the verb needs.
Esta é a cidade que vivo.Esta é a cidade na que vivo.Vivir needs en. Standard Galician keeps that preposition before the relative; dropping it is a casual-speech habit that the written norm does not accept.
Not contracting the preposition with the article.
a cidade en a que vivoa cidade na que vivoEn + a always contracts to na, also before que.
Copying the Spanish con el que.
o amigo con el que viaxeio amigo co que viaxeiGalician has no article el; con + o contracts to co.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A preposition belongs before the relative phrase, with ordinary article contractions.
- o que / a que / os queRelatives with the Article
Know article-plus-que relatives.
Level 4 - de + o = doContractions of De with the Article
Recognize preposition/article contraction through the de pattern.
Level 1 - en + o = noContractions of En with the Article
Recognize the en contraction in forms such as na que.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Relative queRelative Pronoun Que
The basic relative que, which takes a preposition and article here.
Level 3 - o cal / a calFormal Relative O Cal
The formal alternative after prepositions: a razón pola cal.
Level 4 - Relative onde
Onde can replace na que for places: a casa onde vivo.
Level 3 - Relative quen
Quen can replace co que or coa que for people: a persoa con quen falei.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Preposition + Article + que in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Galician lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
