Chapter 29: Relative Pronouns

Welcome to the Sentence Glue! In this chapter, we will learn how to connect simple thoughts into smooth, fluent sentences using Qui (Who/Which), Que (That/Which), and Où (Where/When). Let's master it together, step-by-step.

Section 1: The Concept of Relative Pronouns (Sentence Glue)

So far, you might have been speaking in short, choppy sentences:
• "This is the boy. The boy wears glasses."

To sound natural and fluent, we connect these thoughts using **Relative Pronouns** (e.g., "This is the boy **who** wears glasses."). Think of relative pronouns simply as **Sentence Glue**.

The Sentence Glue Analogy

Relative pronouns act like liquid glue. They sit in the middle of two separate clauses, bonding them together so you don't have to repeat the same word twice.

In French, our three primary tubes of glue are:

  • Qui [kee] : Replaces the subject (who/which).
  • Que [kuh] : Replaces the object (that/which).
  • Où [oo] : Replaces a place or time (where/when).
Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away from the screen. Why do we use relative pronouns in conversation? What are the three core French relative pronouns?

Micro-Quiz 1: Core Concepts

1. Relative pronouns are grammatically designed to act as what?

2. Which pronoun replaces a place or a time period?

3. How do you say "Who" or "Which" (acting as subject) in French?

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. Relative pronouns connect two thoughts into one fluent sentence.

Question 2: Correct Answer: B. *Où* replaces place ("where") or time ("when").

Question 3: Correct Answer: A. *Qui* represents who/which when acting as the subject of the following verb.

Section 2: QUI → The Key Verb Starter

Use Qui [kee] when the word you are replacing is the **subject** (the person or thing performing the action).

In practice, this means Qui is always followed directly by a conjugated verb engine.

Mnemonic Anchor: Qui is the Key!

Think: **Qui** sounds like **"Key"**.
→ A **Key** is used to start a **verb motor**.
→ If you look immediately after the blank and see a **verb** (an action engine), turn the **Qui (Key)**!

The 1-Second check for QUI

To know if you should use **Qui**, look at the word **immediately following the blank**:

Formula: [Noun] + qui + [Verb Engine]

• Example: La femme [blank] habite ici → habite (lives) is a verb engine, so it must be qui.
• Example: Le chat [blank] dort sur le lit → dort (sleeps) is a verb engine, so it must be qui.

Let's review two examples in action:

  • L'homme qui parle... [lohm kee parl] : The man who is speaking...
    (parle — speaks — is the verb engine, so we use **qui**.)
  • Le train qui arrive... [luh trehn kee ah-reev]: The train that is arriving...
    (arrive — arrives — is the verb engine, so we use **qui**.)
Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away from the screen. What part of speech must always follow "Qui" in a sentence? Recite the "Key" mnemonic.

Micro-Quiz 2: Qui in Action

1. In "C'est le garçon ____ parle," what follows the blank?

2. Based on the answer above, which pronoun is correct?

3. Translate: "The dog that runs." (runs is court)

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. *parle* is a conjugated verb engine.

Question 2: Correct Answer: B. Because a verb directly follows the blank, we turn the **Qui (Key)** to start it.

Question 3: Correct Answer: A. *court* (runs) is a verb engine, so we use *qui*. Thus: *Le chien qui court*.

Section 3: QUE → The Kuh-Cut (Subject Connector)

Use Que [kuh] when the word you are replacing is the **direct object** (the person or thing receiving the action).

In practice, this means Que is always followed directly by a subject pronoun or noun (e.g., je, tu, il, nous, Marie, le chat).

Mnemonic Anchor: Que sounds like Kuh (as in "cut")!

Think: **Que** is pronounced **"Kuh"** (like the first sound of **cu**t).
→ Imagine a subject noun/pronoun waiting to **c**ut (**k**uh) in line!
→ If you look immediately after the blank and see a subject noun/pronoun (e.g. *Je, Tu, Elle*), drop the **Que (Kuh)** in front of them to connect the sentence!

The 1-Second check for QUE

To know if you should use **Que**, look at the word **immediately following the blank**:

Formula: [Noun] + que / qu' + [Subject Noun/Pronoun] + [Verb Engine]

• Example: La chanson [blank] nous écoutons → nous is a subject pronoun, so it must be que.
• Example: La voiture [blank] Marie achète → Marie is a subject noun, so it must be que.

Elision Rule: The Vowel Collision

When **que** meets a word starting with a vowel (or silent h), they collide! We drop the 'e' and combine them:
→ **que + il** becomes **qu'il** [keel] .
→ **que + elle** becomes **qu'elle** [kehl] .
Note: **Qui** never contracts! It remains **qui** even before vowels (e.g. *qui habite*). Only **que** contracts.

Let's review two examples in action:

  • Le livre que je lis... [luh lee-vruh kuh zhuh lee]: The book that I am reading...
    (je — I — is a subject pronoun, so we use **que**.)
  • La pomme qu'il mange... [lah pohm keel mahnzh]: The apple that he eats...
    (il — he — starts with a vowel, so we contract to **qu'**.)
Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away from the screen. What part of speech must always follow "Que"? Does "Qui" ever contract into "qu'"?

Micro-Quiz 3: The Kuh-Cut

1. In "Le café ____ je bois...", what follows the blank?

2. Based on the answer above, which pronoun is correct?

3. What is the correct contracted form of "que Marie aime"?

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. *je* is a subject pronoun.

Question 2: Correct Answer: B. Because a subject follows the blank, we use the **Que (Kuh)** pronoun.

Question 3: Correct Answer: B. *Marie* starts with a consonant (M), so no elision happens. It remains *que Marie aime*.

The Ultimate Qui vs. Que Cheat Sheet

Still confused? Here is the absolute foolproof test. Look at the word directly after the blank:

Use QUI (Key) if followed by:
A VERB ENGINE

Examples of following words:
• est (is)
• parle (speaks)
• arrive (arrives)
• court (runs)

Example: Le train qui arrive.

Use QUE/QU' (Kuh-Cut) if followed by:
A SUBJECT NOUN / PRONOUN

Examples of following words:
• je / j' (I)
• tu (you)
• il / elle (he/she)
• Marie / le garçon (names/nouns)

Example: Le train que je prends.

Section 4: OÙ → The GPS Pin for Place & Time

Use Où [oo] to replace a **place** ("where") or a **time period** ("when").

Mnemonic Anchor: The GPS Pin & Clock

Think: The word **Où** (where) has an accent grave (`) over the 'u'.
→ The accent grave looks like a **GPS Location Pin** pointing to a place.
→ It also looks like the **hand of a clock** pointing to a time.
→ Use **Où** when connecting places (cities, parks, houses) or times (days, years, moments).

Let's review two examples in action:

  • La ville où j'habite... [lah veel oo zhah-beet]: The city where I live...
    (ville — city — is a location place, so we use **où**.)
  • Le jour où je suis arrivé... [luh zhoor oo zhuh swee zah-ree-vay]: The day when I arrived...
    (jour — day — is a time period, so we use **où** to mean "when".)
Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away. What double meaning does "Où" have in relative clauses? Recite the GPS Pin and Clock mnemonics.

Micro-Quiz 4: GPS and Time

1. In "C'est la maison ____ je suis né," what does "maison" represent?

2. Based on the answer above, which pronoun is correct?

3. Translate: "The year when I traveled." (year is l'année, traveled is j'ai voyagé)

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. *maison* is a house, which is a location place.

Question 2: Correct Answer: A. Because it's a place, we drop the **Où (GPS Pin)** inside the slot. Thus: *la maison où je suis né*.

Question 3: Correct Answer: A. *l'année* is a time period, so we use *où* to mean "when". Thus: *L'année où j'ai voyagé*.

Section 5: DONT → The De-Replacement Magic

Use dont [dohn] when the relative clause contains a verb or expression that requires the preposition de.

Mnemonic Anchor: The "De" Disappearing Act

Think: The pronoun dont starts with the letter D.
→ It stands for De.
→ When a verb naturally takes de (like parler de or avoir besoin de), the de gets sucked into the letter D in dont and disappears from the sentence!

Let's look at how this works step-by-step:

  • Expression: Parler de (To speak about / of)
    Sentence A: C'est l'ami. (This is the friend.)
    Sentence B: Je parle de cet ami. (I am speaking of this friend.)
    Combined: C'est l'ami dont je parle. [say lah-mee dohn zhuh parl] — This is the friend about whom I speak.
  • Expression: Avoir besoin de (To need / have need of)
    Sentence A: Voilà le livre. (Here is the book.)
    Sentence B: J'ai besoin de ce livre. (I need this book.)
    Combined: Voilà le livre dont j'ai besoin. [vwah-lah luh leevr dohn zhay buh-zwan] — Here is the book that I need.
  • Expression: Être fier de (To be proud of)
    Combined: C'est le travail dont elle est fière. [say luh trah-veye dohn ehl ay fee-ehr] — It is the work she is proud of.

Dont for Possession (Whose):
You also use dont to show ownership or association (translating to "whose" or "of which"):
• L'homme dont le fils est médecin... — The man whose son is a doctor.

Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away. What letter does "dont" start with? What preposition does it replace? Name three French expressions that trigger "dont".

Micro-Quiz 5: The "De" Magnet

1. Which relative pronoun must be used to connect: "L'ami" and "je parle de lui"?

2. Translate: "The car that I need." (car is la voiture, need is avoir besoin de)

3. True or False: In "C'est l'homme dont je me souviens," the preposition "de" is still written in the relative clause.

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. Because "parler" takes the preposition "de" (*parler de*), we must use *dont*.

Question 2: Correct Answer: A. "Avoir besoin" requires "de", which is replaced by *dont*. Never say "que j'ai besoin".

Question 3: Correct Answer: B. False. The preposition "de" disappears completely once *dont* is used.

Section 6: The Ultimate Relative Pronoun Map (Qui vs Que vs Où vs Dont)

Choosing the correct relative pronoun is one of the most common challenges for French learners. Because English often translates different pronouns simply as "that", you cannot rely on direct translation. Instead, follow this simple decision flow.

The 4-Step Decision Flowchart

When filling in a blank space, ask yourself these questions in order:

  1. Step 1: Check the verb expression first. Does the verb in the relative clause require the preposition de (e.g. parler de, avoir besoin de, se souvenir de, être fier de)?
    → YES: Use dont. Stop here!
  2. Step 2: Check for Place or Time. Does the noun refer to a physical location (where) or a point in time (when)?
    → YES: Use où. Stop here!
  3. Step 3: Look at the word immediately *after* the blank. Is it a **Verb Engine** (starts directly with a verb/auxiliary like est, parle, mange, a)?
    → YES: Use qui (it functions as the subject).
  4. Step 4: Look at the word immediately *after* the blank. Is it a **Subject** (a person, name, or pronoun like je, tu, il, nous, vous, ils, elle, elles)?
    → YES: Use que (it functions as the direct object).
Pronoun Grammatical Function Operational Test (After the blank) Example
qui Replaces Subject (who / which) Followed immediately by a **Verb** L'homme qui parle... (The man who is speaking...)
que / qu' Replaces Direct Object (whom / that) Followed immediately by a **Subject** (pronoun/noun) Le livre que je lis... (The book that I am reading...)
où Replaces Place or Time (where / when) Noun is a **Location** or a **Time Period** La ville où j'habite... (The city where I live...)
dont Replaces **de** + Noun (whose / of which / about which) Verb takes **de** (or shows possession) Le livre dont j'ai besoin... (The book that I need...)
Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away. What is the operational test to distinguish between "qui" and "que"? What is the first check you should always make before anything else?

Micro-Quiz 6: Master The Flow

1. In "Le garçon ____ tu parles est sympa," which relative pronoun is correct?

2. In "L'étudiant ____ étudie le français," which relative pronoun is correct?

3. In "L'année ____ je suis né," which relative pronoun is correct?

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. Although it is followed by the subject "tu", the verb is "parler", which requires the preposition "de" (*parler de*). According to **Step 1**, *dont* overrides *que*. Thus: *Le garçon dont tu parles*.

Question 2: Correct Answer: A. The word following the blank is the verb *étudie* (verb engine), which triggers *qui* according to **Step 3**.

Question 3: Correct Answer: B. *L'année* is a time period, so we use *où* to mean "when" according to **Step 2**.

Section 7: Indefinite Relative Pronouns → CE QUI, CE QUE, CE DONT

Sometimes, you want to link clauses without pointing to a specific noun. In English, we do this by using the word "what" (in the sense of "that which" or "the thing that").
Example: "I don't know what is happening." or "This is what I want."

In French, we create these by placing the placeholder word ce [suh] (meaning "this" or "that") in front of the relative pronoun.

Mnemonic Anchor: The "Ce" Placeholder Card

Think of Ce as a blank card representing "the thing".
→ Ce + Qui = "The thing that (subject)" → what
→ Ce + Que = "The thing that (object)" → what
→ Ce + Dont = "The thing about/of which" → what

The Three Main Indefinite Pronouns:
  • Ce qui [suh kee]: Used as the **subject** of the relative clause (followed immediately by a verb engine).
    • Ce qui m'intéresse, c'est l'histoire. — What interests me is history. (followed by verb *m'intéresse*)
  • Ce que / Ce qu' [suh kuh]: Used as the **direct object** of the relative clause (followed immediately by a subject).
    • Je sais ce que tu penses. — I know what you are thinking. (followed by subject *tu*)
    • C'est ce qu'il aime. — That is what he likes. (elides before vowel *il*)
  • Ce dont [suh dohn]: Used when the verb requires the preposition de.
    • C'est ce dont j'ai besoin. — This is what I need. (from *avoir besoin de*)
    • Dis-moi ce dont tu parles. — Tell me what you are talking about. (from *parler de*)

A Note on Places (Ce où / Là où):
To say "what place" or "where" when there is no specific antecedent noun, French naturally uses là où [lah oo] (literally "there where").
• C'est là où je travaille. — That is where (what place) I work.

Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away. How do you say "what" in French when it means "the thing that"? When do you use "ce qui" versus "ce que"? What does "ce dont" replace?

Micro-Quiz 7: Indefinite Connections

1. In "Je ne comprends pas ____ se passe," what relative pronoun fits? (se passe is a verb engine)

2. Translate: "This is what I bought." (bought is j'ai acheté)

3. In "Voilà ____ j'ai peur," which fits? (avoir peur de is the verb phrase)

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. The blank is followed by the verb phrase *se passe*, so we need the subject pronoun *ce qui*.

Question 2: Correct Answer: A. The blank is followed by the subject pronoun *je*, which makes it a direct object slot requiring *ce que*.

Question 3: Correct Answer: A. *Avoir peur de* requires the preposition *de*, which is replaced by *dont*, giving *ce dont*.

Section 8: Relative Pronouns with Prepositions → LEQUEL, LAQUELLE, LESQUELS, LESQUELLES

When connecting clauses after a preposition (like sur, avec, pour, dans, chez), you cannot use simple relative pronouns. If the antecedent is a thing or animal, you must use lequel (which changes form to agree with the noun's gender and number).

Mnemonic Anchor: The Shape-Shifting Mirror

Think: Lequel is a mirror that must reflect the exact shape of the noun.
→ Singular Masculine: lequel [luh-kehl]
→ Singular Feminine: laquelle [lah-kehl]
→ Plural Masculine: lesquels [lay-kehl]
→ Plural Feminine: lesquelles [lay-kehl]

Examples in Action:
  • La table sur laquelle j'écris... — The table on which I write...
    (table is feminine singular, so we use **laquelle** after the preposition **sur**.)
  • Le projet pour lequel je travaille... — The project for which I work...
    (projet is masculine singular, so we use **lequel** after **pour**.)
  • Les clés avec lesquelles j'ai ouvert la porte... — The keys with which I opened the door...
    (clés is feminine plural, so we use **lesquelles** after **avec**.)
Important Contractions with À and DE:

Just like the articles le and les, the relative pronoun lequel contracts when combined with the prepositions à or de:

Base Contraction with À (to / at) Contraction with DE (of / from)
Masc. Sing. (lequel) auquel [oh-kehl] duquel [dew-kehl]
Fem. Sing. (laquelle) à laquelle de laquelle
Masc. Plur. (lesquels) auxquels [oh-kehl] desquels [day-kehl]
Fem. Plur. (lesquelles) auxquelles [oh-kehl] desquelles [day-kehl]

• Le problème auquel je pense... — The problem about which (to which) I think...
• La voiture à côté de laquelle je suis garé... — The car next to which I am parked...

Note on People: If the antecedent is a person, you can use preposition + qui instead. This is much more common and simpler!
• L'ami avec qui je voyage... (equivalent to: L'ami avec lequel...)

Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away. What are the four base forms of lequel? What do they contract to when combined with "à"? What do they contract to when combined with "de"?

Micro-Quiz 8: Prepositional Agreement

1. In "La chaise sur ____ je suis assis," which pronoun is correct? (chaise is feminine singular)

2. In "Le stylo avec ____ j'écris," which pronoun is correct? (stylo is masculine singular)

3. What does "à + lesquels" contract to?

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. *chaise* is feminine singular, so we match it with *laquelle*.

Question 2: Correct Answer: A. *stylo* is masculine singular, so we match it with *lequel*.

Question 3: Correct Answer: A. "à + lesquels" contracts to *auxquels* (masculine plural contractive pronoun).

Section 9: Dialogue: Devine qui c'est ?

Let's see all three relative pronouns in action. Emma is describing a friend to Leo:

E
Emma

C'est un garçon qui porte des lunettes.

Phonetics: [say tuhn gar-sohn kee port day lew-net.]

(It's a boy who wears glasses.)

C'est Paul ? Le garçon que je connais ?

Phonetics: [say pol ? luh gar-sohn kuh zhuh koh-neh ?]

(Is it Paul? The boy that I know?)
L
Leo
E
Emma

Non. C'est le garçon avec qui tu as joué au tennis au parc où on va souvent.

Phonetics: [nohn. say luh gar-sohn ah-vehk kee too ah zhoo-ay oh teh-nees oh park oo ohn vah soo-vahn.]

(No. It's the boy with whom you played tennis at the park where we go often.)
Mental Recall Checkpoint

Look away. In the dialogue, why did Claire use "qui" for glasses (porte des lunettes) and "que" for knowing (je connais)?

Micro-Quiz 9: Dialogue Integration

1. In the dialogue, why is "où" used in the phrase "...au parc où on va"?

2. Translate: "The boy whom I know." (know is connais)

3. What is the meaning of "lunettes"?

Reveal Answers & Explanations

Question 1: Correct Answer: B. *parc* is a park (a location place), which triggers the GPS-pin pronoun *où*.

Question 2: Correct Answer: A. *je* is a subject in the queue, so we use *que*.

Question 3: Correct Answer: A. *lunettes* is glasses (think of looking at the *lunar* moon with glasses).

Le Coin Culturel: The Mandatory Glue

In English, we frequently drop relative pronouns in casual speech (e.g., "The book [that] I read is good" or "The boy [whom] I met is kind").

In French, **you can never skip the glue!** Dropping the pronoun is a major grammatical error. You must always explicitly state the connection: Le livre **que** je lis...

Sentence Glue Game

Combine the two thoughts using the correct relative pronoun ("Sentence Glue").

Challenge 1 of 3

C'est le garçon ? porte des lunettes

New Vocabulary

Study these new words and their pronunciations before practicing with flashcards. Click the speaker icon to hear the audio:

English Word / Phrase French Translation Listen
The house where I live La maison où j'habite
The computer that works well L'ordinateur qui fonctionne bien
The friend whom I invite (m) L'ami que j'invite
The dog that is eating Le chien qui mange
The pizza that we are buying La pizza que nous achetons
The city where they go La ville où ils vont
The letters that she wrote Les lettres qu'elle a écrites
The book that I need Le livre dont j'ai besoin
The friend of whom he speaks L'ami dont il parle

Chapter 29 Flashcard Deck

Import the relative pronouns deck to practice QUI, QUE, and OÙ combinations on your device.

Import Chapter 29 Deck

Chapter 29 Capstone Mastery Test

Prove your complete self-contained mastery of Relative Pronouns. Complete all three tiers to verify your understanding!

Tier 1: Recognition (Multiple Choice)

1. Which relative pronoun is used to replace the **subject** (the person or thing *doing* the action)?

2. Which relative pronoun is used to replace the **direct object** (the person or thing *receiving* the action)?

3. What is the rule for choosing "qui" over "que" based on what follows the blank?

4. When does the relative pronoun "que" contract into "qu'"?

5. Which relative pronoun is used to replace a noun introduced by the preposition de (meaning whose, of which, or about which)?

Tier 2: Assisted Production (Fill-in-the-blank with Clues)

Choose the correct word from the dropdown menu to complete each sentence.

Tier 3: Unassisted Generation (Translate to French)

Write the complete French sentence. Capitalize the first letter.

1. Translate: "The man who is speaking is tall." (the man is L'homme, speak is parler -> parle, tall is grand)

Hint: "L'homme..." + relative pronoun + verb engine "parle" + "est grand".

2. Translate: "The book that I am reading is good." (the book is Le livre, read is lire -> lis, good is bon)

Hint: "Le livre..." + relative pronoun + subject "je" + verb "lis" + "est bon".

3. Translate: "The apple that he eats is red." (the apple is La pomme, eat is manger -> mange, red is rouge)

Hint: "La pomme..." + relative pronoun contracted + "il mange" + "est rouge".

4. Translate: "The city where I live is Paris." (the city is La ville, live is habiter -> j'habite)

Hint: "La ville..." + relative pronoun + location "j'habite" + "est Paris".

5. Translate: "The friend about whom I speak is Paul." (the friend is L'ami, speak is parler -> je parle)

Hint: "L'ami..." + relative pronoun + subject/verb "je parle" + "est Paul".
View Capstone Answer Guide & Explanations
Tier 1 Solutions:
  • Q1: Correct is "qui". *qui* replaces the subject of the clause (e.g. l'homme *qui* court).
  • Q2: Correct is "que". *que* replaces the direct object (e.g. la pomme *que* je mange).
  • Q3: Correct is "'qui' is followed by a verb engine; 'que' is followed by a subject (a person or pronoun)." This is our core operational test. *Qui* starts the verb motor (key); *Que* precedes the line of people (queue).
  • Q4: Correct is "Before a word starting with a vowel or silent 'h'." Que elides to qu' (e.g., qu'il, qu'elle). Qui never contracts.
  • Q5: Correct is "dont". *dont* replaces the preposition *de* + noun (e.g., *parler de*).
Tier 2 Solutions:
  • Q1: qui (*est* is the verb engine).
  • Q2: que (*je* is a subject in the queue).
  • Q3: qu' (*il* starts with a vowel, so we contract *que* to *qu'*).
  • Q4: où (*parc* is a location place, representing the GPS pin).
  • Q5: dont (*j'ai besoin* requires the preposition *de* → *avoir besoin de*).
Tier 3 Solutions:
  • Q1: L'homme qui parle est grand. (subject pronoun *qui* connects to verb *parle*).
  • Q2: Le livre que je lis est bon. (object pronoun *que* connects to subject *je*).
  • Q3: La pomme qu'il mange est rouge. (object pronoun *que* contracts to *qu'* before vowel *il*).
  • Q4: La ville où j'habite est Paris. (GPS pin pronoun *où* connects to place *la ville*).
  • Q5: L'ami dont je parle est Paul. (the verb *parler* requires *de*, which is replaced by *dont*).
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