How to Use French Relative Pronouns: Qui, Que, Dont, and Où

A Simple Method to Choose the Right Pronoun

The secret to choosing the correct relative pronoun is to think of your complex sentence as two simpler sentences. The pronoun you need depends on the grammatical role (subject, direct object, etc.) of the noun you are replacing in the second sentence.

• Sentence 1: J'ai un ami. (I have a friend.)
• Sentence 2: Cet ami habite à Lyon. (This friend lives in Lyon.)
• In sentence 2, 'Cet ami' is the subject of the verb 'habite'. To replace a subject, you use 'qui'.
• Result: J'ai un ami qui habite à Lyon. (I have a friend who lives in Lyon.)

• Sentence 1: Tu lis un livre. (You are reading a book.)
• Sentence 2: J'ai acheté ce livre hier. (I bought this book yesterday.)
• In sentence 2, 'ce livre' is the direct object of the verb 'ai acheté'. To replace a direct object, you use 'que'.
• Result: Le livre que tu lis, je l'ai acheté hier. (The book that you are reading, I bought it yesterday.)

We will explore more examples, but this two-sentence method is the most reliable way to find your answer.

Qui: The Subject Pronoun (who, that, which)

Use 'qui' when the noun you are replacing is the subject of the verb that follows. A simple rule of thumb is that 'qui' is almost always followed directly by a verb. It can refer to both people and things and it never changes.

• La femme qui parle est mon avocate. (The woman who is speaking is my lawyer.)
• J'aime les films qui font réfléchir. (I like movies that make you think.)
• C’est un projet qui demande beaucoup de travail. (It's a project that requires a lot of work.)

Que: The Direct Object Pronoun (whom, that, which)

Use 'que' when the noun you are replacing is the direct object of the verb in the relative clause. Unlike 'qui', 'que' is followed by a subject and then a verb. It refers to both people and things.

Remember that 'que' becomes 'qu'' before a word starting with a vowel or a silent 'h'.

• La robe que tu portes est magnifique. (The dress that you are wearing is magnificent.)
• Le document que je cherche est sur la table. (The document that I am looking for is on the table.)
• L'homme qu'elle a rencontré est un vieil ami. (The man whom she met is an old friend.)

Past Participle Agreement with Que

This is a common challenge for learners. In compound tenses like the passé composé, when you use the auxiliary 'avoir', the past participle must agree in gender and number with the direct object if the direct object comes before the verb. Since 'que' replaces this direct object and is always placed before the verb, agreement is necessary.

Dont: Replacing 'de' + Noun (of whom, of which, whose)

'Dont' is a versatile pronoun that replaces anything introduced by the preposition 'de'. This happens in two main situations:

1. With verbs or expressions constructed with 'de', such as 'parler de', 'avoir besoin de', 'rêver de', 'être fier de'.

• Le livre dont je t'ai parlé est un best-seller. (The book I talked to you about is a bestseller.)
• C'est l'outil dont j'ai besoin. (It's the tool that I need.)

2. To express possession, replacing 'de' in the sense of 'whose'. It connects a person or thing to something that belongs to them.

• C'est un acteur dont j'admire la carrière. (He's an actor whose career I admire.)
• Je connais une femme dont le fils est un grand musicien. (I know a woman whose son is a great musician.)

Où: For Place and Time (where, when)

The pronoun 'où' is used to refer to a place or a moment in time.

• As a place (where): Paris est la ville où j'ai grandi. (Paris is the city where I grew up.)
• As a time (when): Je n'oublierai jamais le jour où je l'ai rencontré. (I will never forget the day when I met him.)
• L'année où nous sommes partis en Italie était inoubliable. (The year when we went to Italy was unforgettable.)

Expanding Your Toolkit: Lequel, Ce qui, Ce que

For more complex sentences, you might need these pronouns:

• Preposition + Lequel: When a preposition (other than 'de') comes before the relative pronoun and refers to a thing, you must use 'lequel' (or its forms 'laquelle', 'lesquels', 'lesquelles'). Examples: 'La table sur laquelle le livre est posé.' (The table on which the book is placed.), 'Les raisons pour lesquelles il est parti.' (The reasons for which he left.)
• Preposition + Qui: For people, you generally use 'qui' after a preposition. Example: 'L'ami avec qui je voyage.' (The friend with whom I am traveling.)
• Ce qui / Ce que / Ce dont: These mean 'what' or 'that which' and refer to an idea or an unknown thing. 'Ce qui' is the subject ('Ce qui est important, c'est la santé.' What is important is health.), 'Ce que' is the direct object ('Dis-moi ce que tu penses.' Tell me what you think.), and 'Ce dont' replaces 'de + chose' ('C'est ce dont j'ai peur.' It's what I am afraid of.).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mixing up 'qui' and 'que' is the most frequent error. Remember the simple rule: 'qui' is followed by a verb, while 'que' is followed by a subject.

• Incorrect: L'homme que vit à côté de chez moi est anglais.
• Correct: L'homme qui vit à côté de chez moi est anglais. (The man who lives next to me is English.)

Another common mistake is using 'que' when 'dont' is required for verbs that use 'de'.

• Incorrect: C'est le film que je t'ai parlé hier.
• Correct: C'est le film dont je t'ai parlé hier. (It's the film that I told you about yesterday.)

Always check if the verb in your relative clause needs 'de'. If it does, you probably need 'dont'.

Quick self-check

1. Choose the correct pronoun: Je me souviens de l'été ___ nous sommes allés à la mer.

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   Où. The pronoun refers to a time ('l'été').

2. Choose the correct pronoun: C'est un musicien ___ le talent est reconnu par tous.

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   Dont. The pronoun shows possession ('whose talent').

3. Choose the correct pronoun: Montre-moi ___ tu as acheté.

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   Ce que. The pronoun means 'what' and acts as the direct object of 'as acheté'.

4. Choose the correct pronoun and agree the participle: La voiture qu'il a (acheté) ___ est rouge.

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   achetée. 'Que' replaces 'la voiture' (feminine singular), so the past participle must agree.

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