Spanish relative pronouns

In Spanish language, there are many different types of Spanish pronouns. In this article, don Quijote will teach you everything you need to know about Spanish relative pronouns. Although the name may sound a little technical, they are quite common and useful in everyday speech.

Therefore, to become a fluent Spanish speaker, you must master these and many other categories of Spanish grammar and language. We will explain what relative pronouns in Spanish are, what types there are, and how to use them, as well as provide examples and exercises so you can practice what you have learned. Don't miss anything and come learn Spanish in Spain!

You can read this same article about relative pronouns in Spanish, Italian, French, or German.

What are relative pronouns in Spanish?

Relative pronouns in Spanish are used to link two sentences or ideas, referring to something that has already been mentioned. Their main function is to avoid repetition of words and make sentences sound more natural and fluent.

For example: “Vi una película que me encantó” (I saw a movie that I loved). Here the Spanish relative pronoun in this sentence is “que,” and it connects two ideas: watching a movie and loving the movie. Therefore, “que” as a relative pronoun in Spanish replaces “la película” to avoid repetition in the sentence and make it sound more natural.

Spanish Relative pronouns are words that connect information about people, things, or objects mentioned earlier. You can use them to connect ideas in the same sentence and avoid repetition of words.

Types of Spanish relative pronouns

Relative pronouns in Spanish are divided into several types. We can distinguish between simple and complex:

Following, let's take a closer look at each relative pronoun in Spanish.

The most common relative pronoun is “que”. It can be used for people, things, animals, places... practically everything. For example:

• El libro que estoy leyendo es muy interesante (The book that I am reading is very interesting)
• La chica que canta es mi hermana (The girl who sings is my sister)
• Este es el lugar que te mencioné (This is the place that I mentioned to you)

The next Spanish relative pronoun is “quien” and “quienes”, which are used only for people. When you want to talk about people, “quien” is used in the singular and “quienes” in the plural. It can refer to the subject, who performs the action, or to the object, who receives it. It is often used with commas, especially if the information is additional.

Examples:

• Mi abuela, quien vive en el campo, cocina platos deliciosos (My grandmother, who lives in the country, cooks delicious meals)
• Los estudiantes, quienes llegaron tarde, no asistieron a la ponencia (The students who arrived late did not attend the lecture)
• El cantante, quien se cayó del escenario, se rompió una pierna (The singer, who fell on stage, broke his leg)

To express possession, the Spanish relative pronouns “cuyo”, “cuya”, “cuyos”, and “cuyas” are used. These indicate that something belongs to someone, so they must agree in gender and number with the thing possessed. They are always used with things or objects, never with people.

Examples:

• El señor, cuyo coche es rojo, es mi vecino (The man whose car is red is my neighbor)
• La niña, cuya madre es doctora, ganó un premio (The girl whose mother is a doctor won a prize)
• Los alumnos, cuyas tareas están completas, pueden salir (The students whose homework is complete can leave)

Here's a trick for using this relative pronoun: if you can say “the man's car” or “the girl's mother,” then you can use “cuyo” or “cuya”.

To give more emphasis or clarity, use “el que” or “la que” in the singular, and “los que” or “las que” in the plural. These are used to avoid ambiguity and are more specific. They can also be preceded by a preposition. For example:

• No entendí el libro del que me hablaste (I didn't understand the book you told me about)
• Los niños, los que estaban en el parque, son mis primos (The children who were in the park are my cousins)
• Esa es la chica con la que hablé el otro día (That's the girl I spoke to the other day)

Finally, “el cual” and “los cuales” are used for general ideas or concepts. In Spanish, these relative pronouns are used when you are talking about something that is not specific or a complete idea.

Examples:

• El documento, el cual fue enviado ayer, ya fue aprobado (The document, which was sent yesterday, has already been approved)
• La conferencia trató varios temas, los cuales fueron discutidos en profundidad (The conference covered several topics, which were discussed in depth)
• Mi maleta, la cual pesa mucho, no cabe en el compartimiento superior (My suitcase, which weighs a lot, doesn't fit in the overhead compartment)

In addition to these, you may find that “donde” and “cuanto” can also be used as Spanish relative pronouns in some contexts. Thus, “donde” can refer to a place mentioned earlier, while “cuanto” is used in more literary or emphatic registers and refers to the quantity or totality of something already mentioned.

Examples:

• Esa es la casa donde nací (you could also say: “Esa es la casa en la que nací”) (That is the house where I was born)
• Aprovechó cuantos recursos tenía (you could also say: “Aprovechó todos los recursos que tenía”) (He took advantage of all the resources he had)

Exercises with relative pronouns in Spanish

Now that you know what relative pronouns in Spanish are, do you think you can identify them in these sentences? We'll give you the answers at the end of the exercise.

1. Conocí a una chica que habla cinco idiomas (I met a girl who speaks five languages)
2. El profesor, quien es muy simpático, nos ayudó mucho (The teacher, who is very nice, helped us a lot)
3. La casa cuya puerta está rota es antigua (The house whose door is broken is old)
4. Ese es el amigo con el que viajé a México (That is the friend with whom I traveled to Mexico)
5. No entendí lo que dijiste (I didn't understand what you said)
6. Vi a los estudiantes cuyos exámenes fueron corregidos (I saw the students whose exams were corrected)
7. La película que vimos anoche ganó varios premios (The movie we saw last night won several awards)
8. El coche en el que viajamos era muy cómodo (The car in which we traveled was very comfortable)
9. Mis amigos, los cuales viven en otra ciudad, vendrán mañana (My friends, who live in another city, are coming tomorrow)
10. La niña a quien le diste el regalo está feliz (The girl to whom you gave the gift is happy)

Don't worry if you confuse some of these relative pronouns in Spanish at first, it's normal. But the most important thing is to understand who or what they refer to and keep practicing. You can watch series or movies in Spanish and listen to podcasts or television programs. You'll see that with practice; Spanish relative pronouns will become easy and useful.