Types of Spanish relative pronouns
Relative pronouns in Spanish are divided into several types. We can distinguish between simple and complex:
SIMPLE |
COMPLEX |
Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
Masculine |
Feminine |
Masculine |
Feminine |
Masculine |
Feminine |
Neutral |
Masculine |
Feminine |
que |
el que |
la que |
lo que |
los que |
las que |
quien |
quienes |
el cual |
la cual |
lo cual |
los cuales |
las cuales |
cual |
cuales |
cuyo |
cuya |
cuyos |
cuyas |
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”.