Spanish relative pronouns are que, quien(es), cuyo(a,os,as), el que, el cual, lo que, donde, cuando, and como.
Using relative pronouns correctly allows you to combine sentences and provide more detail in a natural way.
Here’s the same content with fun and lively examples to keep it fresh and engaging:
que
que is the most common relative pronoun in Spanish. It can refer to people, animals, or things. It means that, which, who, or whom.
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| El perro que ladra es muy ruidoso. |
| English Example |
| Usage |
| Used for both people and things |
quien(es)
quien (singular) and quienes (plural) mean who or whom and refer only to people. They are more formal and commonly used:
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| El mago a quien saludé desapareció en un segundo. |
| English Example |
| Usage |
| After prepositions (a, de, con, para, en, etc.) |
cuyo(a, os, as)
cuyo (and its feminine and plural forms cuya, cuyos, cuyas) means whose and shows possession. It agrees in gender and number with the thing possessed, not the possessor.
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| La niña cuya bicicleta es roja ganó la carrera. |
| English Example |
| Usage |
| Used to indicate possession in relative clauses |
el que, la que, los que, las que, el cual, la cual, los cuales, las cuales
These forms mean the one(s) who/that and are used instead of que for:
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| El jugador el que anotó el gol es mi primo. |
| English Example |
| Usage |
| Clarification when the antecedent is ambiguous |
lo que
lo que means what, that which, or the thing that. It refers to an idea, situation, or unspecified thing—not to a specific noun.
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| No entiendo lo que dijiste en la fiesta. |
| English Example |
| Usage |
| Always neuter (lo) and invariable |
donde, cuando, como
These relative pronouns relate to place, time, and manner, respectively.
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| La casa donde celebramos la fiesta es enorme. |
| English Example |
| Usage |
| donde = where (place) |
Summary
Relative pronouns are used to smoothly connect sentences and add detail by expressing ideas like that, which, who, whom, whose, where, when, and how — or in Spanish: que, quien(es), cuyo(a, os, as), el que, la que, lo que, donde, cuando, and como. Choosing the correct relative pronoun clarifies meaning and improves sentence flow.
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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025