Spanish grammar lessons › Level A2 › Pronouns

Relative que and donde

Join sentences with que (who, which, that) and donde (where).

Part of the free A2 Spanish course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.

A relative pronoun joins two sentences by referring back to a noun. I have a friend. My friend speaks five languages becomes I have a friend who speaks five languages.

Que: who, which, that

Que is the all-purpose relative. It works for people and things, singular and plural:

Tengo un amigo que habla cinco idiomas.I have a friend who speaks five languages.
La chica que vive arriba es enfermera.The girl who lives upstairs is a nurse.
El libro que me prestaste es muy bueno.The book you lent me is very good.
Las fotos que hiciste en Roma son preciosas.The photos you took in Rome are lovely.

English often drops that: the book (that) you lent me. Spanish never drops que.

Relative que has no accent. ¿Qué? with an accent is the question word (Every question word: qué, cuál, quién, cuánto, por qué…).

Donde: where

Donde refers back to a place. It means the same as en el que / en la que (in which):

Este es el restaurante donde comimos el sábado.This is the restaurant where we ate on Saturday.
La ciudad donde nací es pequeña.The town where I was born is small.

Relative donde has no accent; the question word ¿dónde? does, also inside a sentence when it asks indirectly (No sé dónde está).

¿Dónde está la tienda que abrió ayer?Where is the shop that opened yesterday?

Extra information between commas

When the relative clause just adds information (it doesn't tell you which one), put it between commas. Use que here too:

Mi hermano, que vive en Lima, viene en julio.My brother, who lives in Lima, is coming in July.

What comes later

Lo que (what, the thing that) and quien, el que after prepositions: el que, la que, lo que, quien.
en el que, con quien, cuyo: Relatives with prepositions: en el que, con quien, cuyo, lo cual.
The subjunctive in relative clauses (busco a alguien que sepa…): Subjunctive in relative clauses: busco a alguien que sepa.

Common mistakes

~~El libro me prestaste~~: never drop que: El libro que me prestaste.
~~La chica quien vive arriba~~: in a clause without commas, use que for people as the subject.
~~La casa que vivo~~: you live in the house, so use donde (or en la que): la casa donde vivo.
~~el pueblo dónde nací~~: no accent on relative donde. Keep it on questions: ¿Dónde naciste?
~~Que quiero es dormir~~: "what I want" is lo que: Lo que quiero es dormir.

Practice

Tengo una vecina _____ trabaja en la radio.
I have a neighbour who works on the radio.
Options: que · quien · donde · qué
Show the answer
que — Que for people as the subject, without commas.
La película _____ vimos anoche era muy larga.
The film we saw last night was very long.
Show the answer
que — Spanish never drops que.
Esa es la playa _____ aprendí a nadar.
That's the beach where I learnt to swim.
Options: donde · que · dónde · quien
Show the answer
donde — A place: donde, without an accent in a relative clause.
El pueblo _____ veraneamos está en Asturias.
The village where we spend the summer is in Asturias.
Show the answer
donde

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days, until you've answered it correctly on three separate days.

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