9.4: Relative pronouns
- Page ID
- 415675
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Relative pronouns are words that allow us to create longer sentences. When shorter sentences have some part in common, like a noun or pronoun, we can use a relative pronoun to combine them.
Éste es el libro. Usamos el libro en clase. === > Éste es el libro que usamos en clase.
La profesora es divertida. La profesora enseña español. === > La profesora, quien enseña español, es divertida.
Que and quien, without written accent marks, are the two most common relative pronouns in Spanish.
Que is the most common relative pronoun and can refer to people or things. It translates into English as that or who.
Aprendemos gramática hoy. Me gusta esta gramática. === > Me gusta la gramática que aprendemos hoy.
Mi perro corre mucho. Mi perro es rápido. === > Mi perro que corre mucho es rápido.
El estudiante recibe buenas notas. Él estudia mucho. === > El estudiante que estudia mucho recibe buenas notas.
Quien and quienes only refer to people and can translate as who, whom or that. It is used after the personal a or any other preposition such as de, quien, or con.
Quien and quienes is sometimes used in place of que and has a comma before it and after the rest of the clause.
Mis padres compraron un coche nuevo. Están alegres hoy. === > Mis padres, quienes compraron un coche nuevo, están muy alegres hoy.
Hablamos del profesor nuevo. Es alto. === > El profesor nuevo de quien hablamos es alto.
Hago el arte con mi amiga Natasha. Es muy amable. === > Mi amiga, con quien hago el arte, es muy amable.
Brianne es muy trabajadora. Le escribí ayer. === > Brianne, a quien le escribí ayer, es muy trabajadora.
Hablé con la directora. Ella sabe mucho.
Lo que is a genderless relative pronoun and means what in English. It refers to ideas, situations, past actions.
Lo que necesita el equipo es más práctica. === > What the team needs is more practice.
La biblioteca tiene todo lo que necesitamos para el proyecto. === > The library has everything we need for the project.
Nos encanta lo que la educación simboliza. === > We love what education symbolizes.
Lots of people use relative pronouns without even realizing they are using them. With practice, they become part of how you speak and write. So, let's practice.
Prácticas.
A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate relative pronoun.
1. La directora, con ___________________ hablé, sabe mucho.
2. El gato __________________ es blanco y negro es muy divertido.
3. ¿Te gusta el programa ___________________ te recomendé?'t
4. La profesora, ____________________ viaja mucho, aprende mucho.
5. ____________________ queremos es un mundo con paz.
6. Los estudiantes, de ____________________ hablamos son muy serios.
7. La tienda ___________________ está cerca es buena.
8. Mi abuela, de ____________________ escribo, era muy paciente y amable.
9. Es importante hacer ____________________ es necesario.
10. ____________________ la profesora quiere es muy justo.
B. Translate each sentence into Spanish. Be sure to include a relative pronoun.
1. I like what you write.
2. The students who take Spanish are intelligent.
3. The coffee that she brings she makes at home.
4. We do what is important.
5. The director with whom she speaks is very organized.
6. What she wants is to rest.
7. The dog that runs a lot eats a lot.
8. The boy with whom she works knows three languages.
9. The book that she is reading is long.
10. The student who is new is young.
C. La música. The song Limón y Sal by Julieta Venegas uses relative pronouns. Listen to the song. Then, listen to it again and write the relative pronouns that you hear.
D. What is a relative pronoun? Why do we use them? Give three examples of sentences with three different relative pronouns.