que
Relative Pronoun Que
'Que' is a versatile connector word, similar to 'that', 'which', or 'who' in English.
How It Works
The relative pronoun que is the most frequently used in Spanish due to its versatility. It connects a main sentence with a clause that adds descriptive information.
Key Functions of 'Que':
- Refers to People or Things: Unlike some other relative pronouns, que can refer to both persons and objects.
El coche que compré es rojo. (The car that I bought is red.)
La persona que llegó es mi amiga. (The person who arrived is my friend.) - Can be Subject or Object: Que can function as either the subject or the object of the verb in the relative clause.
Subject: La película que empieza ahora es una comedia. (The movie that starts now is a comedy. - 'que' is the subject of 'empieza')
Object: La película que vimos anoche fue una comedia. (The movie that we saw last night was a comedy. - 'que' is the object of 'vimos') - Usage with Prepositions:
When referring to things after a preposition (like en, de, con), que must be used with a definite article: el que, la que, los que, las que.
La caja en la que guardo las fotos es vieja. (The box in which I keep the photos is old.)
When referring to people after a preposition, you can use either the article + que (e.g., a la que) or the pronoun quien. Using quien is often preferred in these cases.
La persona a la que saludé es mi jefa. (The person who I greeted is my boss.)
La persona a quien saludé es mi jefa. (The person whom I greeted is my boss.)
Examples (5)
- El libro que estoy leyendo es muy interesante.
The book that I'm reading is very interesting.
Word by Word: The book that I am reading is very interesting.
- La casa que tiene el techo rojo es de mi abuela.
The house that has the red roof is my grandmother's.
Word by Word: The house that has the roof red is of my grandmother.
- Los amigos que invité a la fiesta son de Colombia.
The friends who I invited to the party are from Colombia.
Word by Word: The friends that I invited to the party are from Colombia.
- La canción que suena ahora me encanta.
I love the song that is playing now.
Word by Word: The song that sounds now enchants me.
- Este es el restaurante del que te hablé.
This is the restaurant that I told you about.
Word by Word: This is the restaurant of the that to you I spoke.
Here, the structure is
preposition + article + que. The phrasede el queis used, and the prepositiondeand articleelcontract to formdel.
Common Mistakes
Confusing 'que' (that/which) with 'qué' (what?).
La chica qué me llamó es mi hermana.La chica que me llamó es mi hermana.'Que' (without an accent) is a relative pronoun used to connect clauses. 'Qué' (with an accent) is an interrogative or exclamatory word used for questions or exclamations, meaning 'what' or 'how'.
Omitting 'que' where it's required.
El café yo tomo por la mañana es fuerte.El café que yo tomo por la mañana es fuerte.In English, you can often omit 'that' (e.g., 'The coffee I drink...'). In Spanish, the relative pronoun 'que' is mandatory to link the two clauses.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use the relative pronoun 'que', you need to understand how to join two thoughts together. It acts like a bridge between a noun and a description, similar to how basic conjunctions connect ideas. You also need to be familiar with question words to distinguish the relative 'que' from the question 'qué', and understand basic noun-adjective relationships since the entire 'que' clause acts as a description for a noun.
- y/o/pero/porqueBasic Conjunctions
Understanding basic conjunctions is essential for learning how relative pronouns like 'que' function to connect two clauses into a single sentence.
Foundations - qué/quién/cuál/cómo/dónde/cuándo/por quéQuestion Words
Learners must distinguish between the interrogative 'qué' (with an accent) and the relative pronoun 'que' (without an accent) to avoid confusion in writing and meaning.
Foundations - Adjective Agreement
Since relative clauses function as adjectives to describe a noun, understanding how adjectives modify nouns is a conceptual prerequisite for using relative pronouns.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- quien/quienesRelative Pronoun Quien
Both are relative pronouns, but 'quien' is used exclusively for people, especially after prepositions, whereas 'que' can be used for both people and things.
Level 3 - lo queLo Que Construction
'Lo que' is a neuter relative pronoun that refers to an abstract idea, a previous statement, or something unknown. It's different from 'que', which refers to a specific noun (antecedent).
Level 3 - el que/la que/los que/las queEl Que Forms
These are forms of 'que' combined with articles. They are used for clarity, especially after prepositions or to avoid ambiguity, and can be translated as 'the one that' or 'the one who'.
Level 3 - dondeRelative Adverb Donde
'Donde' is a relative adverb used specifically for places, meaning 'where'. It functions similarly to 'que' by connecting a clause to an antecedent, but the antecedent must be a location.
Level 3 - cuyo/cuya/cuyos/cuyasPossessive Relative Cuyo
'Cuyo' is the possessive relative adjective, meaning 'whose'. It connects a noun to its owner, showing possession, which is a different function from the general-purpose connector 'que'.
Level 3
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Words in This Pattern
Practice que in Bubblegum
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