quien/quienes
Relative Pronoun Quien
Use quien (singular) and quienes (plural) as relative pronouns to refer to people, typically after a preposition or in clauses set off by commas.
How It Works
Quien and quienes are essential relative pronouns for referring to people, acting as the equivalent of 'who' or 'whom' in English. Unlike the more general que, which can refer to people or things, quien is reserved only for humans.
There are two primary situations where you use quien/quienes, and one key situation where you must use que instead.
1. After a Preposition (Use Quien)
This is the most common and important use. When a relative pronoun referring to a person follows a preposition, you must use quien or quienes. Common prepositions include a, con, de, para, en, por, sin.
- La mujer con quien hablé es mi jefa. (The woman with whom I spoke is my boss.)
- Los estudiantes para quienes es la clase están esperando. (The students for whom the class is are waiting.)
2. In Non-Restrictive Clauses (Use Quien or Que)
These clauses provide extra, non-essential information and are set off by commas. In this context, quien/quienes can be used instead of que, often adding a slightly more formal or literary tone.
- Mi hermano, quien es doctor, vive en Argentina. (My brother, who is a doctor, lives in Argentina.)
- Los niños, quienes jugaban en el parque, eran muy ruidosos. (The children, who were playing in the park, were very loud.)
3. In Restrictive Clauses without a Preposition (Use Que)
This is a critical rule. A restrictive clause identifies which person you're talking about and is not set off by commas. If there is no preposition before the relative pronoun, you must use que, even when referring to people.
- Incorrect: El hombre quien trabaja aquí es mi padre.
- Correct: El hombre que trabaja aquí es mi padre. (The man who works here is my father.)
Number Agreement
Remember to match the pronoun to the number of people it refers to:
- quien → one person (singular antecedent)
- quienes → two or more people (plural antecedent)
Examples (5)
- El hombre con quien hablas es mi tío.
The man with whom you are speaking is my uncle.
Word by Word: The man with whom you speak is my uncle.
- Las chicas a quienes invitamos son de Colombia.
The girls whom we invited are from Colombia.
Word by Word: The girls to whom we invited are from Colombia.
- Marta, quien es mi mejor amiga, me va a visitar.
Marta, who is my best friend, is going to visit me.
Here, 'quien' is used in a non-restrictive clause (set off by commas) to add extra information about Marta.
- No conozco a la persona de quien me estás hablando.
I don't know the person you are talking to me about.
Word by Word: I don't know to the person of whom you are to me talking.
- Estos son los artistas para quienes trabajamos.
These are the artists for whom we work.
Word by Word: These are the artists for whom we work.
Common Mistakes
Using 'que' instead of 'quien' after a preposition for a person.
La mujer con que salgo es muy inteligente.La mujer con quien salgo es muy inteligente.After a preposition, a relative pronoun for a person is usually quien/quienes or the article form: con quien salgo, con la que salgo. Plain con que is not the usual choice for a person.
Using the singular 'quien' when referring to multiple people.
Los amigos a quien llamé ya vienen.Los amigos a quienes llamé ya vienen.The pronoun must agree in number with the noun it refers to. Since 'los amigos' is plural, you must use the plural form 'quienes'.
Using 'quien' instead of 'que' in a restrictive clause.
La chica quien me llamó es mi prima.La chica que me llamó es mi prima.In a clause that identifies a person (i.e., is not set off by commas) and is not preceded by a preposition, you must use 'que', not 'quien'. The clause 'que me llamó' is essential to know which girl you're talking about.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the relative pronoun 'quien', you first need to understand how relative pronouns function in Spanish using the basic 'que'. Additionally, since 'quien' is frequently used after prepositions and must agree in number with the person it refers to, knowledge of basic prepositions and plural formation is required.
Related Patterns
- el que/la que/los que/las queEl Que Forms
These forms can also be used after prepositions to refer to people and are often interchangeable with quien/quienes. For example, 'la mujer con la que hablé' is also correct.
Level 3 - lo queLo Que Construction
Contrast: While quien refers to people, lo que is a neuter relative pronoun that refers to an idea, concept, or previous statement, meaning 'what' or 'that which'.
Level 3 - aPersonal a
The preposition 'a' is very frequently used before quien when the person is a direct or indirect object, linking this pattern to the concept of the personal 'a'.
Level 2 - a/de/en/con/sinBasic Prepositions
The primary use of quien/quienes is to follow a preposition. Understanding these basic prepositions is key to using 'quien' correctly.
Foundations
Words in This Pattern
Practice quien/quienes in Bubblegum
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