Les pronoms relatifs : qui, que, où
Connect two sentences into one — the person WHO, the thing THAT, the place WHERE
Relative pronouns let you combine two short sentences into one longer, more natural one. Instead of saying 'I have a friend. She lives in Paris.' you say 'I have a friend WHO lives in Paris.' French uses qui (subject), que (object), and où (place/time). Master these three and your sentences instantly sound more fluent.
Qui — the subject of the relative clause
Use 'qui' when the relative pronoun is the SUBJECT of the verb that follows. It replaces a person or thing that DOES the action.
- J'ai un ami qui habite à Paris. — I have a friend who lives in Paris.
- C'est un livre qui raconte une histoire vraie. — It's a book that tells a true story.
- La femme qui parle est ma prof. — The woman who is speaking is my teacher.
Que — the object of the relative clause
Use 'que' when the relative pronoun is the OBJECT of the verb — something or someone that receives the action. Note: 'que' becomes 'qu'' before a vowel.
- Le film que j'ai vu hier était super. — The movie that I saw yesterday was great.
- C'est la robe qu'elle a achetée. — It's the dress (that) she bought.
- L'homme que tu connais est mon voisin. — The man (whom) you know is my neighbor.
Où — place or time
Use 'où' to refer to a place (where) or a moment in time (when).
- La ville où j'habite est petite. — The city where I live is small.
- Le restaurant où on a mangé était excellent. — The restaurant where we ate was excellent.
- Le jour où je suis arrivé, il pleuvait. — The day (when) I arrived, it was raining.
Quick decision guide
Not sure which to use? Ask yourself: is the pronoun the SUBJECT of the next verb (→ qui), the OBJECT (→ que), or a PLACE/TIME (→ où)?
| Pronoun | Role | Test |
|---|---|---|
| qui | subject | Is it followed directly by a verb? → qui |
| que / qu' | object | Is it followed by a subject + verb? → que |
| où | place / time | Does it replace a location or a moment? → où |
« La fille ___ parle est ma sœur. »
Le livre ___ tu m'as prêté est génial.
La ville ___ je suis né est au sud de la France.
« C'est le film ___ j'ai vu trois fois. »
Combine into one sentence using qui, que, or où
J'ai une amie. Elle parle 4 langues. →