Spanish grammar: pronombres relativos

What this grammar point covers

Relative pronouns in Spanish are words like 'que', 'quien', and 'cuyo' that connect two parts of a sentence by referring to a noun mentioned before.

When to use it

Use Spanish relative pronouns to join two sentences or clauses that talk about the same person or thing. They help avoid repeating words and make sentences smoother.

Key forms

• 'que' (that, which, who)
• 'quien/quienes' (who, whom, only for people)
• 'cuyo/cuya/cuyos/cuyas' (whose, shows possession)

Examples

Tips

• Use 'que' for people, animals, or things.
• 'Quien' and 'quienes' are only used for people, usually after a preposition (like 'a', 'de', 'con').
• 'Cuyo' agrees in gender and number with the thing owned, not the owner.

Exceptions and edge cases

• After prepositions, use 'quien' for people and 'el que/la que/los que/las que' for things.
• 'Que' cannot be used after some prepositions (like 'con', 'de') when referring to people.