Relative pronouns – qui and que
L'homme qui parle, le livre que je lis
Relative pronouns link two clauses about the same person or thing: the man who is speaking, the book that I'm reading. The two most common are qui and que.
Qui: the subject of the next verb
Qui is followed directly by a verb (or by ne or an object pronoun):
- L'homme qui parle est mon père.The man who is speaking is my father.
- Le train qui arrive vient de Lyon.The train that's arriving comes from Lyon.
- J'ai un ami qui habite à Rome.I have a friend who lives in Rome.
Que: the direct object of the next verb
Que is followed by a subject (pronoun or noun) and its verb:
- Le livre que je lis est génial.The book (that) I'm reading is great.
- La femme que tu vois est ma tante.The woman you see is my aunt.
- C'est un film qu'on adore.It's a film we love.
How to choose
Look at what follows:
- verb → qui (qui parle)
- subject + verb → que (que je lis)
People AND things
Unlike English who/which, both qui and que work for people and things.
Never drop que
English often drops that: the book I read. French never does: le livre que j'ai lu.
Elision
Que → qu' before a vowel. Qui never elides: l'ami qui arrive.
In the passé composé, the past participle agrees with que's antecedent: les lettres que j'ai écrites. See Past participle agreement with a preceding direct object.
Practice
- Le chat _____ dort est à moi.Options: qui · que · qu'
Show the answer
qui
- La femme _____ tu vois est ma tante.Options: que · qui · dont
Show the answer
que
- C'est un film _____ j'adore.Options: que · qui · où
Show the answer
que
- Le train _____ arrive vient de Lyon.Options: qui · qu' · que
Show the answer
qui — Qui never elides.