Relative clauses (oraciones de relativo)
Que, quien, el que, lo que, donde and cuyo — and when to use the indicative or subjunctive in a relative clause.
Que: the most common relative pronoun
Que refers to both people and things and is the most commonly used relative pronoun in Spanish. It can be the subject or object of the clause.
Examples
Quien/quienes: for people only
Quien (singular) and quienes (plural) refer only to people. They are typically used after a preposition or after a comma (non-restrictive clause), not as the plain subject of a simple clause.
Examples
El que / la que / lo que: after prepositions and for emphasis
El que, la que, los que, las que agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to and are often used after a preposition. Lo que is neuter and refers to a whole idea or an undefined thing ('what').
Examples
Donde and cuyo
Donde refers to a place. Cuyo/cuya/cuyos/cuyas expresses possession ('whose') and agrees with the noun that follows it — NOT with the possessor.
| mannelijk | vrouwelijk | |
|---|---|---|
| enkelvoud | cuyo | cuya |
| meervoud | cuyos | cuyas |
Examples
Indicative or subjunctive in the relative clause
Use the indicative when the antecedent (the word being referred to) exists and is known/specific. Use the subjunctive when the antecedent is unknown, uncertain, indefinite or non-existent (e.g. after 'busco', 'necesito', 'no hay nadie que').
Examples
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Related grammar
← Reported speech (estilo indirecto)Impersonal se and the passive se (pasiva refleja) →
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