In this article, you will:

  • Learn how to use relative pronouns in French:
    • How to use the pronoun QUE in French? (How to use the pronoun QUE in French?)
    • How to use the pronoun QUI in French? (How to use the pronoun QUI in French?)
    • How to use the pronoun OÙ in French? (How to use the pronoun OÙ in French?)
    • How to use the pronoun DONT in French? (How to use the pronoun DONT in French?)
       
  • See examples of using relative pronouns in French:
    • see examples of using the pronoun QUE in French (see examples of using the pronoun QUE in French)
    • see examples of using the pronoun QUI in French (see examples of using the pronoun QUI in French)
    • see examples of using the pronoun OÙ in French (see examples of using the pronoun OÙ in French)
    • see examples of using the pronoun DONT in French (see examples of using the pronoun DONT in French)
       
  • Do exercises on relative pronouns in French
    • do exercises on the pronoun QUE in French (do exercises on the pronoun QUE in French)
    • do exercises on the pronoun QUI in French (do exercises on the pronoun QUI in French)
    • do exercises on the pronoun OÙ in French (do exercises on the pronoun OÙ in French)
    • do exercises on the pronoun DONT in French (do exercises on the pronoun DONT in French)
       
  • Know how to use relative pronouns in French
    • know how to use the pronoun QUE in French (know how to use the pronoun QUE in French)
    • know how to use the pronoun QUI in French (know how to use the pronoun QUI in French)
    • know how to use the pronoun OÙ in French (know how to use the pronoun OÙ in French)
    • know how to use the pronoun DONT in French (know how to use the pronoun DONT in French)

 

 

 The relative pronoun QUI: 

The relative pronoun QUI is used to provide information about the subject of the sentence. It connects the subject and the verb in a sentence and allows making one sentence instead of two.
 

For example:

C'est l'iPhone 12. L’iPhone 12 préoccupe les autorités.
➜ C'est l'iPhone 12 qui préoccupe les autorités. (It's the iPhone 12 that concerns the authorities.)
 

Another example:

J’aime ce téléphone. Ce téléphone est de la marque Apple.
➜ J’aime ce téléphone qui est de la marque Apple. (I like this phone which is from Apple.)
 

 

 

 The relative pronoun QUE: 

The relative pronoun QUE is used to provide information about the direct object complement of the sentence. It connects the direct object complement and the subject in a sentence and allows making one sentence instead of two.
 

For example:

Le téléphone est un objet. On utilise le téléphone tous les jours.
➜ Le téléphone est un objet qu’on utilise tous les jours. (The phone is an object that we use every day.)
 

Another example:

Je viens de télécharger une application. C’est une application très utile.
➜ L'application que je viens de télécharger est très utile. (The app that I just downloaded is very useful.)
 

💡 The relative pronoun QUE becomes QU' in front of a noun or pronoun starting with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u,y)

 

 

 Tip to differentiate between QUI and QUE: 

  • QUI:

QUI will always be followed by a verb.
 

For example:

➜ L'homme qui parle au téléphone est mon voisin. (The man who is talking on the phone is my neighbor.)
 

⚠️ Note that QUI can sometimes be followed by a pronoun complement.
 

For example:

➜ L’homme qui nous parle au téléphone est mon voisin. (The man who talks to us on the phone is my neighbor.)
 

 

  • QUE:

QUE will always be followed by a subject (noun or pronoun) and then a verb.
 

For example:

➜ Le livre que j'ai lu était passionnant. (The book that I read was fascinating.)

 

 

 The relative pronoun OÙ: 

The relative pronoun OÙ is used to provide information about a location or time complement in a sentence. It connects the location or time complement and the subject in a sentence.
 

For example: 

➜ L’iPhone ne doit pas être près de l’endroit où vous dormez. (The iPhone should not be near the place where you sleep.)
 

Another example:

➜ Le 12 octobre, c’était le jour où j’ai acheté mon téléphone. (October 12th was the day when I bought my phone.)

 

 

 The relative pronoun DONT: 

The relative pronoun DONT is used to provide information about an object complement introduced by the preposition "de". It connects the object complement and the subject in a sentence.
 

For example:

Je te parle de ce téléphone. Ce téléphone est un iPhone.
➜ Le téléphone dont je te parle est un iPhone. (I'm talking to you about this phone. This phone is an iPhone. ➜ The phone that I'm talking to you about is an iPhone.)
 

 

Another example:

C’est le 43ᵉ téléphone. La vente de ce 43ᵉ téléphone a été interrompue.
➜ C'est le 43ᵉ téléphone dont la vente a été interrompue. (It's the 43rd phone. The sale of this 43rd phone was stopped. ➜ It's the 43rd phone whose sale was stopped.)