Spanish 2.8. Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns in Spanish are the same as interrogative pronouns, but without the written accent to distinguish the two groups. The most common relative pronouns used in Spanish are “que” (that) and “quien(es)” (who/whom). Other relative pronouns that you may encounter less frequently are “cuyo” (whose) and “el cual” (who/whom/which). The two relative pronouns, “cuyo” and “el cual,” have four forms based on gender and number.

Most Common Relative Pronouns

Here is a list of the most common relative pronouns in Spanish:

Relative pronoun	English meaning	Examples
que	that/which	El té que te gusta está acá. The tea that you like is here.
quien (singular) quienes (plural)	who/whom	Es la persona con quien hablé. This is the person with whom I talked.
cuyo (sing. masc.) cuya (sing. fem.) cuyos (pl. masc.) cuyas (pl. fem.)	whose	Es el hombre cuyos dos hijos son médicos. This is the man whose two sons are doctors.
el cual (sing. masc.) la cual (sing. fem.) los cuales (pl. masc.) las cuales (pl. fem.)	who/whom/which	Ellos discuten sobre un tema importante, el cual te afecta. They are discussing an important topic, one which affects you.

The relative pronoun “que,” meaning “that” or “which,” can refer to a thing, a place, or a person.

The relative pronoun “quien” can only refer to a person. The plural form “quienes” refers to more than one person. In general, “quien” and “quienes” cannot refer to a thing or a place.

“Cuyo”

The relative pronoun “cuyo” (and its variants in gender and number) has a similar use to the English “whose,” e.g., “Este es el hombre cuyo hijo es médico” (This is the man whose son is a doctor).

Instead of “cuyo,” one can use “de quien,” “de que,” or “del cual,” e.g., “Este es el hombre de quien su hijo es médico”  (This is the man whose son is a doctor).

“El Cual,” “El Que” & Their Variants

The relative pronoun “el cual” (and its gender and number variants) is not common in spoken Spanish, but is more common in written Spanish. It is used when the noun described by the relative pronoun is separated by a preposition or a comma. For example, “Yo voy a leer el libro, el cual estaba en el garaje” (I am going to read the book, the one that was in the garage), “Limpiaré la silla, detrás de la cual se escondía el gato” (I will clean the chair behind which the cat was hiding).

The relative pronouns “el que,” “la que,” “los que,” and “las que” are similar in use to “el cual,” “la cual,” “los cuales,” and “las cuales,” respectively.

“Que” vs. “Quien(es)”

Since both “que” and “quien” can refer to a person, it is important to understand when to use each. As a general rule, if the person(s) you are referring to is(are) separated from the relative pronoun by a preposition or comma, “quien(es)” must be used. Otherwise, if there is no such separation, and the relative pronoun comes after the person it describes, we must use “que.”

Another case that requires using “quien” instead of “que” is after the verb “ser,” e.g., “Ella es quien me dijo esto” (She is the one who told me this).

“quien (es)” and “que” examples	Explanation
Es el chico de quien estaba hablando. This is the guy whom I was talking about.	Referring to a person, and the preposition “de” is used before the relative pronoun, use “quien.”
Ellos son los jugadores con quienes yo jugaba. They are the players with whom I used to play.	Referring to multiple persons, and the preposition “con” is used before the relative pronoun, use “quienes.”
Mi amigo, quien es ingeniero, me dijo esto. My friend, who is an engineer, told me this.	Referring to a person, and a comma that introduces a new idea or information is used before the relative pronoun, use “quien.”
Este es el restaurante que abrió la semana pasada. This is the restaurant that opened last week.	Referring to a place, we always use “que.” “Quien” can only refer to a person. Thus, use “que.”
Es el profesor que me enseñó. This is the teacher who taught me.	Referring to a person, and the relative pronoun is used right after without a preposition or comma, use “que.”

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