In the French language, relative pronouns are essential in connecting two sentences that have a relationship. Relative pronouns replace a noun, and they link a dependent clause to a main clause. They serve as the subject or the object in a sentence. In French, there are five relative pronouns, namely qui, que, où, dont, and lequel (and its forms laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles). Each pronoun has a specific usage, and it is essential to understand their distinctions to use them correctly.
Qui: Who, Which, That
The pronoun “qui” is used when the relative pronoun refers to a person or thing that functions as the subject of the dependent clause. In English, it can be translated to “who,” “which,” or “that.” Here are some examples:
Le professeur qui enseigne le français est très intelligent.
(The teacher who teaches French is very intelligent.)
La robe qui est dans la vitrine est jolie.
(The dress which is in the window display is pretty.)
Les enfants qui jouent dans la cour sont bruyants.
(The children who play in the courtyard are noisy.)
Que: Whom, Which, That
The pronoun “que” is used when the relative pronoun refers to a person or thing that functions as the object of the dependent clause. In English, it can be translated to “whom,” “which,” or “that.” Here are some examples:
Le livre que j’ai lu était très intéressant.
(The book that I read was very interesting.)
La fille que j’ai rencontrée hier est très sympathique.
(The girl whom I met yesterday is very nice.)
Les pommes que j’ai achetées sont délicieuses.
(The apples which I bought are delicious.)
Où: Where, In Which, When
The pronoun “où” is used when the relative pronoun refers to a place or a time. In English, it can be translated to “where,” “in which,” or “when.” Here are some examples:
La maison où j’habite est petite.
(The house where I live is small.)
L’école où je vais se trouve près de chez moi.
(The school where I go is located near my home.)
L’année où je suis né est 1998.
(The year when I was born is 1998.)
Dont: Whose, Of Which, Of Whom
The pronoun “dont” is used when the relative pronoun refers to a person or thing that is preceded by “de” (of). In English, it can be translated to “whose,” “of which,” or “of whom.” Here are some examples:
Le garçon dont je parle est mon frère.
(The boy whom I am talking about is my brother.)
La robe dont je parle est rouge.
(The dress of which I am talking about is red.)
La maison dont la porte est rouge est la mienne.
(The house whose door is red is mine.)
Lequel (and its forms laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles): Which, That, Whom
The pronoun “lequel” is used when the relative pronoun refers to a thing or a person, and it follows a preposition. Its forms depend on the gender and number of the noun it refers to. In English, it can be translated to “which,” “that,” or “whom.” Here are some examples:
La voiture dans laquelle nous sommes est neuve.
(The car in which we are is new.)
Les livres sur lesquels j’ai écrit sont intéressants.
(The books on which I have written are interesting.)
Les personnes auxquelles je parle sont mes amis.
(The people whom I am talking to are my friends.)
Les maisons desquelles je parle sont en ville.
(The houses of which I am talking about are in the city.)
Conclusion
In summary, the five relative pronouns in French serve different purposes in connecting two sentences. Qui is used when the relative pronoun refers to a person or thing that functions as the subject of the dependent clause. Que is used when the relative pronoun refers to a person or thing that functions as the object of the dependent clause. Où is used when the relative pronoun refers to a place or a time. Dont is used when the relative pronoun refers to a person or thing that is preceded by “de” (of). Lequel is used when the relative pronoun refers to a thing or a person and follows a preposition. Understanding the proper usage of these relative pronouns is essential in constructing grammatically correct sentences in French
Originally posted 2023-07-17 16:36:45.