French Relative Pronouns
Imagine having several short sentences: "I have a cat. My cat sleeps on the couch. My cat is black." Relative pronouns let you combine them elegantly: "J'ai un chat qui dort sur le canapé et qui est noir." Think of it like LEGO blocks - you're connecting pieces of information to build more sophisticated sentences!
1. Understanding Relative Pronouns
💡 French relative pronouns:
- Connect two pieces of information about the same thing or person
- Help avoid repetition
- Make your French sound more natural
- Introduce relative clauses (additional information)
- Are similar to English "who," "which," "that," but with some key differences!
Used with prepositions (in/on/with which)
How it works:
English: I love this restaurant. It's near my house.
Combined: I love this restaurant which is near my house.
French: J'aime ce restaurant qui est près de chez moi.
2. Simple Relative Pronouns
QUI vs QUE: The Most Common Challenge
QUI (Subject)
Used when the relative pronoun is doing the action
Le chat qui dort
English: The cat that/which is sleeping
Test: Who/what is doing the action?
QUE (Object)
Used when the relative pronoun is receiving the action
Le film que je regarde
English: The movie that/which I'm watching
Test: Who/what is receiving the action?
DONT: The Tricky One
DONT (= of which, whose, about which)
Used for anything that would have "de" in French
English Structure:
- The book about which I'm talking
- The friend whose car is red
French Structure:
- Le livre dont je parle
- L'ami dont la voiture est rouge
Where and When with OÙ
OÙ (= where, when)
Much simpler than English - one word for both place and time!
For Places:
- La ville où j'habite
The city where/in which I live - Le café où on s'est rencontrés
The café where/in which we met
For Time:
- Le jour où je suis né
The day when/on which I was born - Le moment où j'ai compris
The moment when I understood
3. Compound Relative Pronouns (LEQUEL & Friends)
| Gender/Number | Basic Form | with à (to/at) | with de (of/from) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | lequel | auquel | duquel |
| Feminine singular | laquelle | à laquelle | de laquelle |
| Masculine plural | lesquels | auxquels | desquels |
| Feminine plural | lesquelles | auxquelles | desquelles |
When to Use Compound Relatives
With Prepositions
La table sur laquelle j'écris
The table on which I write
Le stylo avec lequel j'écris
The pen with which I write
Les raisons pour lesquelles je pars
The reasons for which I'm leaving
For Clarity
La sœur de mon ami, laquelle habite à Paris...
My friend's sister, who lives in Paris...
(Clarifying it's the sister who lives in Paris)
L'équipe de France, laquelle a gagné hier...
The French team, which won yesterday...
4. Practical Guide
A. Choosing the Right Pronoun
Ask yourself these questions in order:
1. Is it doing the action?
→ Use QUI
English: The girl who is dancing
French: La fille qui danse
Test: Who's doing the dancing? → the girl
2. Is it receiving the action?
→ Use QUE
English: The movie that I'm watching
French: Le film que je regarde
Test: What am I watching? → the movie
3. Does the original sentence use "of" or possession?
→ Use DONT
English: The book (that) I'm talking about
French: Le livre dont je parle
Compare: I'm talking about (de) this book
4. Is it about time or place?
→ Use OÙ
English: The café where we meet
French: Le café où nous nous rencontrons
Test: Can you replace it with "in which" or "when"?
5. Is there another preposition (in, on, with, etc.)?
→ Use LEQUEL and its forms
English: The table on which I write
French: La table sur laquelle j'écris
Remember to match gender and number!
B. Common Mistakes
With "parler" (to talk/speak)
✗ La personne que je parle (copying English "that")
Correct:
- La personne dont je parle
The person I'm talking about - La personne à qui je parle
The person I'm talking to
With "avoir besoin" (to need)
✗ Le livre que j'ai besoin (copying English "that")
Correct:
Le livre dont j'ai besoin
Remember: "avoir besoin de" = "to need"
C. Useful Expressions to Remember
Common DONT Expressions
Remember these patterns:
- avoir besoin de → dont j'ai besoin
(that I need) - parler de → dont je parle
(that I'm talking about) - être fier de → dont je suis fier
(that I'm proud of) - rêver de → dont je rêve
(that I dream of)
People and Prepositions
With people, you can use QUI:
- la personne à qui je parle
(the person to whom I'm talking) - l'ami pour qui je travaille
(the friend for whom I work) - le collègue avec qui je déjeune
(the colleague with whom I have lunch)
Note: You can also use LEQUEL forms, but QUI is more common with people
5. Exercises - French Relative Pronouns
Let's practice what you've learned with exercises that gradually increase in difficulty.
A. Identify the Right Pronoun
Can you choose the correct relative pronoun for each situation?
1.La voiture ____ est garée devant chez moi appartient à mon voisin.
2.Le restaurant ____ nous avons dîné hier soir était excellent.
3.Le film ____ tout le monde parle est sorti hier.
4.La personne ____ j'ai rencontrée est très sympathique.
B. Choose the Correct Form
Select the proper form of compound relative pronouns (lequel and its variations).
1.La table sur ____ j'ai posé mes livres est en bois.
2.Les raisons pour ____ je suis parti sont complexes.
3.Le projet sur ____ je travaille avance bien.
4.Les livres avec ____ j'ai appris le français sont excellents.
C. Avoid Common Mistakes
Which version is correct? Watch out for these frequently misused expressions!
1.Le professeur ____ j'ai expliqué mon problème est très compréhensif.
2.C'est un sujet...
3.Le dictionnaire...
D. Sentence Transformation
Pick the best way to combine sentences using relative pronouns. (Hint: Think about what role each word plays in the sentence)
1.J'ai lu un livre. Ce livre parle de l'histoire de France.
2.J'aime cette ville. J'ai vécu dans cette ville pendant dix ans.
E. Expert Level: Complex Sentences
Ready for a challenge? Complete these complex sentences with the appropriate relative pronoun.
1.La personne à côté de ____ j'étais assise dans l'avion venait du Canada.
2.Le dossier dans ____ j'ai rangé les documents ____ nous avons besoin a disparu.
3.L'auteur ____ je préfère les romans et ____ tout le monde parle en ce moment vient de publier un nouveau livre.
4.Le musée devant ____ nous nous sommes rencontrés et ____ l'exposition a tant de succès fermera le mois prochain.