Relative Pronouns in Spanish: A2 Grammar Guide
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Relative pronouns are the glue that holds complex sentences together in Spanish. They connect two related ideas into one, avoiding repetition and making your Spanish sound more fluent and natural. The main relative pronouns are que, quien, el que, and lo que — the Spanish equivalents of “who,” “whom,” “which,” “that,” and “what.” Once you know which one to use in each situation, you can combine simple sentences into sophisticated ones.
Key Takeaways
- Que is the most common relative pronoun — used for both people and things when no preposition is involved.
- Quien / quienes is used for people only, usually after a preposition (con quien, para quien).
- El que / la que / los que / las que means “the one(s) who/that” — used for specific referents and must agree in gender and number.
- Lo que refers to ideas, concepts, or whole situations — “what” or “that which.”
- Relative pronouns join two sentences into one, replacing a repeated noun.
- Don’t confuse the relative pronoun que with the interrogative qué.
What Are Relative Pronouns?
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses — parts of a sentence that give more information about a noun (the antecedent). They connect two related ideas into one sentence, avoiding repetition.
| Simple sentences | Combined with a relative pronoun |
|---|---|
| Tengo un amigo. Él habla tres idiomas. | Tengo un amigo que habla tres idiomas. |
| Compré el libro. El libro está en la mesa. | Compré el libro que está en la mesa. |
In the first example, que replaces él and connects the two sentences. In the second, que replaces the repeated el libro. The result is a single, cleaner sentence.
The Main Relative Pronouns
| Pronoun | Use for | English equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Que | People and things (most common) | who, whom, that, which | El hombre que vino ayer (The man who came yesterday) |
| Quien / Quienes | People only (more formal) | who, whom | La señora con quien hablé (The lady with whom I spoke) |
| El que / La que / Los que / Las que | People and things (specific) | the one who, the one that | Prefiero el que tiene ventanas (I prefer the one that has windows) |
| Lo que | Ideas, concepts, entire situations | what, that which | No entiendo lo que dices (I don’t understand what you’re saying) |
💡 Grammar Tip: Que is the most versatile and commonly used relative pronoun. When in doubt, que is usually correct — and always understood. The other pronouns add specificity or fit particular contexts, but que covers most everyday situations.
When to Use Each Relative Pronoun
Use QUE when:
- Referring to people or things
- In everyday, informal speech
- No preposition is involved
Examples:
- El libro que leí (The book that I read)
- La mujer que canta (The woman who sings)
Use QUIEN when:
- Referring only to people
- After prepositions (a, con, de, para, etc.)
- In more formal contexts
Examples:
- El señor con quien trabajo (The man with whom I work)
- La persona para quien compré el regalo (The person for whom I bought the gift)
Quien has a plural form — quienes — used when the antecedent is plural: Los amigos con quienes viajé (The friends with whom I traveled).
Use EL QUE / LA QUE when:
- You need to be specific
- Emphasizing “the one who / that”
- After prepositions (alternative to quien)
Examples:
- Prefiero la que es más grande (I prefer the one that is bigger)
- El chico con el que estudio (The boy with whom I study)
Use LO QUE when:
- Referring to ideas, concepts, or entire situations
- Meaning “what” or “that which”
- No specific antecedent — nothing to agree with
Examples:
- Lo que dices es importante (What you say is important)
- No me gusta lo que pasó (I don’t like what happened)
Agreement Rules
El que, la que, los que, and las que must agree with their antecedent in gender and number. These forms either replace the noun (when it’s understood) or follow a comma after the antecedent.
| Antecedent | Correct form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | el que | El que compré es azul. (The one I bought is blue.) |
| Feminine singular | la que | La que vi era grande. (The one I saw was big.) |
| Masculine plural | los que | Los que leí eran interesantes. (The ones I read were interesting.) |
| Feminine plural | las que | Las que vendí eran viejas. (The ones I sold were old.) |
Note that lo que has no gender or number agreement — it’s neutral by default. It refers to ideas or situations, not to specific nouns.
Putting It All Together: Real Examples
Conversation 1: Describing people
Ana: ¿Conoces al hombre que trabaja en la oficina nueva?
Carlos: Sí, es la persona con quien tengo la reunión mañana.
Ana: ¿Es el señor que siempre llega temprano?
Carlos: Exacto. Es muy profesional, lo que me gusta mucho.
Translation:
Ana: Do you know the man who works in the new office?
Carlos: Yes, he’s the person with whom I have a meeting tomorrow.
Ana: Is he the gentleman who always arrives early?
Carlos: Exactly. He’s very professional, which I like a lot.
Conversation 2: Shopping decisions
Cliente: Busco un vestido que es elegante pero cómodo.
Vendedor: Tenemos varios que podrían gustarle. ¿Prefiere los que son de algodón o los que son de seda?
Cliente: Me gusta lo que me muestra. Probarme el que tiene flores.
Translation:
Customer: I’m looking for a dress that is elegant but comfortable.
Salesperson: We have several that might please you. Do you prefer the ones that are cotton or the ones that are silk?
Customer: I like what you’re showing me. Let me try on the one with flowers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using que after prepositions. ❌ La mujer con que hablé → ✔ La mujer con quien hablé. After a preposition referring to a person, use quien (or el que / la que). The bare que sounds awkward here.
- Wrong agreement. ❌ Las mesas el que compré → ✔ Las mesas las que compré. El que must match the antecedent’s gender and number.
- Confusing the relative pronoun que with the interrogative qué. ¿Qué quieres? (What do you want? — interrogative, with accent) vs. No entiendo lo que quieres. (I don’t understand what you want. — relative clause with lo que). Only the interrogative qué carries an accent.
- Overusing quien in everyday speech. Que is more natural for people when no preposition is involved. El hombre que vino sounds more natural than El hombre quien vino. Save quien for formal contexts or after prepositions.
- Missing the antecedent. Make sure it’s clear what the relative pronoun refers to. If the reader can’t tell what que or el que refers back to, the sentence becomes confusing.
Quick Reference Chart
| Situation | Best choice | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| People (no preposition) | que | quien |
| Things (no preposition) | que | el que / la que |
| People (with preposition) | quien | el que / la que |
| Things (with preposition) | el que / la que | (no alternative) |
| Ideas / concepts | lo que | (no alternative) |
| Specific “the one who” | el que / la que / los que / las que | que |
Practice Exercise: Choose the Correct Pronoun
Choose the correct relative pronoun.
- El libro ______ (that) leíste es interesante.
- La señora con ______ (whom) trabajo es muy amable.
- No entiendo ______ (what) quieres decir.
- Prefiero la casa ______ (that) tiene jardín.
Answers:
- que
- quien
- lo que
- que — or la que for emphasis (“the one that”)
📚 Build on your knowledge: Review Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns to strengthen the foundation for more complex sentence structures.
Ready to Create Complex Sentences?
Think you’ve mastered relative pronouns? Test your ability to connect ideas and create sophisticated Spanish sentences:
➡️ Take the Relative Pronouns Quiz — choosing que, quien, el que, and lo que, plus agreement rules.
Explore more A2 Grammar Guides for elementary lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses — parts of a sentence that give more information about a noun (called the antecedent). They connect two related ideas into one sentence, avoiding repetition. Example: Tengo un amigo. Él habla tres idiomas → Tengo un amigo que habla tres idiomas. The main relative pronouns are que, quien, el que, and lo que.
Que is used for both people and things when no preposition is involved: El hombre que vino (The man who came), El libro que leí (The book that I read). Quien is used for people only, usually after a preposition: La persona con quien hablé (The person with whom I spoke). In everyday speech, que is more natural; quien is more formal and appears more after prepositions.
Use el que (and its forms la que, los que, las que) when you need to be specific — when you mean “the one that” rather than just “that.” Compare: Compré el libro que me recomendaste (I bought the book that you recommended) vs. Prefiero el que tiene ventanas (I prefer the one that has windows). The second sentence picks one out from a set. El que and its forms also agree with the antecedent in gender and number.
Lo que means “what” or “that which” and refers to ideas, concepts, or whole situations — not to specific nouns. It has no gender or number because there’s no antecedent to agree with. Examples: No entiendo lo que dices (I don’t understand what you’re saying), Lo que pasó fue increíble (What happened was incredible). If you can replace it with “the thing that” in English, lo que is usually correct.
Only el que / la que / los que / las que agree — in gender and number with the antecedent. El libro el que compré (masculine singular), Las mesas las que vi (feminine plural). The other pronouns don’t change: que and quien are invariable, and lo que is neutral by default because it has no specific antecedent.
Because after a preposition, when the antecedent is a person, Spanish requires quien (or el que / la que). La mujer con quien hablé (The woman with whom I spoke) sounds natural; La mujer con que hablé sounds awkward. When the antecedent is a thing, el que / la que is used: La casa en la que vivo (The house in which I live).
The accent. The relative pronoun que has no accent and connects clauses: El libro que leí (The book that I read). The interrogative qué has an accent and asks a question or appears in exclamations: ¿Qué quieres? (What do you want?). Same word, different function — the accent is the signal.
No — but que covers the most situations. Use que when no preposition is involved and you’re not picking one thing out of a set. Switch to the others when: (1) a preposition before a person requires quien or el que, (2) you need to specify “the one that” (el que), or (3) you’re referring to an idea rather than a noun (lo que). When in doubt, que is usually understandable, but not always the most natural choice.
Usually not, but there’s a distinction. A restrictive relative clause — one that identifies which thing you mean — takes no comma: Los estudiantes que estudiaron aprobaron (The students who studied passed — only those who studied). A non-restrictive clause — one that adds extra information about an already-identified noun — takes commas: Los estudiantes, que estudiaron mucho, aprobaron (The students, who studied a lot, passed — all of them). At A2, you’ll mostly see restrictive clauses without commas. The distinction matters more at B1.
Using que after a preposition when referring to a person. English speakers naturally translate “the woman with that I spoke” as la mujer con que hablé — but Spanish requires con quien or con la que. The second most common mistake is forgetting gender and number agreement with el que: Las mesas el que compré is wrong — it should be Las mesas las que compré. Once you internalize that relative pronouns connect clauses like a hinge, the choice of which one becomes a matter of knowing the four situations.
