Relative Pronouns in Spanish: A2 Grammar Guide

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Key Takeaways

• Master the main relative pronouns que, quien, el que, and lo que
• Understand when to use each relative pronoun based on context and meaning
• Learn how relative pronouns connect sentences and avoid repetition
• Practice creating complex sentences by joining ideas with relative pronouns
• Master the agreement rules for relative pronouns with their antecedents

Connect Your Ideas Like a Native Speaker

Relative pronouns are the glue that holds complex sentences together in Spanish. They allow you to combine simple sentences into more sophisticated ones, making your Spanish sound more fluent and natural. Think of them as the Spanish equivalents of “who,” “whom,” “which,” “that,” and “what” in English.

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.

Simple Sentences	Combined with 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.”

The Main Relative Pronouns

Essential 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, you can often use que and be understood.

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)

Use EL QUE / LA QUE when:

• You need to be very 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

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 / 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.)

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 el 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 sea elegante pero cómodo.
Vendedor: Tenemos varios que podrían gustarle. ¿Prefiere los que son de algodón o las que son de seda?
Cliente: Me gusta lo que me muestra. Probarme el que tiene flores.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using “que” after prepositions: “La mujer con que hablé” (awkward) → “La mujer con quien hablé” (better)
• Wrong agreement: “Las mesas el que compré” (wrong) → “Las mesas las que compré” (correct)
• Confusing the relative pronoun “que” with the interrogative “qué”: “¿Qué quieres?” (What do you want? — interrogative) vs. “No entiendo lo que quieres.” (I don’t understand what you want. — relative clause with lo que)
• Overusing “quien” in everyday speech: “que” is more natural for people when no preposition is involved. Save “quien” for formal contexts or after prepositions.
• Missing the antecedent: Make sure it’s clear what the relative pronoun refers to.

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:

1. El libro ______ (that) leíste es interesante.
2. La señora con ______ (whom) trabajo es muy amable.
3. No entiendo ______ (what) quieres decir.
4. Prefiero la casa ______ (that) tiene jardín.

Answers:

1. que
2. quien
3. lo que
4. que (or la que for emphasis)

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📚 Build on your knowledge: Review Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns

Ready to Create Complex Sentences?

Think you’ve mastered relative pronouns? Test your ability to connect ideas and create sophisticated Spanish sentences!

Take Our Relative Pronouns Quiz ►

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