Relative Clauses in Spanish Grammar

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What is a relative clause?

Relative clauses (las oraciones relativas) are subordinate clauses that provide information about a noun or pronoun from the main clause.

They allow us to include additional information without having to start a new sentence.

A relative clause can be introduced by a pronoun, determiner or relative adverb.

Learn how to identify and write relative clauses in Spanish with Lingolia. Put your knowledge to the test in the interactive exercises below.

Example

Lucas, Beatriz y Pablo, que viven conmigo, son mis mejores amigos.

Lucas, a quien conozco desde hace muchos años, siempre viste de negro. Beatriz, quien siempre se hace una trenza, es una informática excelente. Y Pablo, cuyo pelo siempre está brillante, cocina para nosotros todas las noches.

El piso donde vivimos está muy cerca de la estación de tren. Cuantos nos conocen afirman que somos los compañeros de piso ideales, ¡lo cual es verdad!

Why do we need relative clauses?

Relative clauses allow us to combine two sentences into one, thus avoiding repetition and creating shorter, more elegant sentences.

These subordinate clauses provide additional information about an element from the main clause (el antecedente) and are always introduced by a relative pronoun or adverb.

Example:
Lucas, Beatriz y Pablo son mis mejores amigos. Además, Lucas, Beatriz y Pablo viven conmigo. Lucas, Beatriz and Pablo are my best friends. Lucas, Beatriz and Pablo also live with me.
→ Lucas, Beatriz y Pablo, que viven conmigo, son mis mejores amigos.Lucas, Beatriz and Pablo, who live with me, are my best friends.
relative clause: que viven conmigo
subject (antecedente): Lucas, Beatriz y Pablo
relative pronoun: que

Types of relative clauses in Spanish grammar

There are two types of relative clauses in Spanish grammar:

  • Defining relative clauses (oraciones de relativo especificativas) identify the thing being described. Just like in English, Spanish defining relative clauses are not written between commas. If you remove a defining relative clause from the sentence, the meaning changes or becomes unclear.
    Example:
    El chico que tiene Barba es Pablo.The boy who has a beard is Pablo.
  • Non-defining relative clauses (oraciones de relativo explicativas) only provide additional information; you can remove a non-defining relative clause from a sentence and the meaning will stay the same. Just like in English, Spanish non-defining relative clauses are written between commas.
    Example:
    Lucas, a quien conozco desde hace tiempo, siempre viste de negro.Lucas, whom I’ve known for a long time, always wears black.

Commas or no commas?

Not sure whether the relative clause should be written between commas? Try removing it from the sentence:

If the meaning changes or becomes ambiguous without the relative clause = no commas

Example:
El chico [que tiene barba] es Pablo. The boy [who has a beard] is Pablo.
the relative clause provides essential, identifying information; without it, we don’t know which of the boys is Pablo

If the sentence still makes sense without the relative clause = commas are required

Example:
Lucas [, a quien conozco desde hace tiempo,] siempre viste de negro. Lucas, who I’ve known for a long time, always wears black.
the relative clause only provides extra information; how long the speaker has known Lucas is irrelevant to the fact that he always wears black

Relative pronouns

The table below gives an overview of the relative pronouns and adverbs in Spanish.

Refers to … Singular Plural Examples
Masculine Feminine Masculine Feminine
a person or thing que Lucas, Beatriz y Pablo, que viven conmigo, son mis mejores amigos. Lucas, Beatriz and Pablo, who live with me, are my best friends.
el que la que los que las que Lucas, al que conozco desde hace tiempo, siempre viste de negro. Lucas, who I’ve known for a long time, always wears black.
el cual la cual los cuales las cuales Estos son los amigos con los cuales paso mi tiempo. These are the friends I spend my time with.
a clause lo que, lo cual
 Dicen que somos los compañeros de piso ideales, ¡lo cual es verdad! They say we’re the ideal flatmates, which is true!
a person quien quienes Beatriz, quien siempre se hace una trenza, es una informática excelente. Beatriz, who always wears a braid, is an excellent computer scientist.
possession cuyo cuya cuyos cuyas Pablo, cuyo pelo siempre está brillante, cocina para todos nosotros. Pablo, whose hair is always shiny, cooks for all of us.
a place donde, adonde El colegio donde estudié organiza una fiesta de antiguos alumnos todos los años. The school where I studied organises an alumni party every year.
a time cuando A Lucas y a Pablo los conocí cuando íbamos al colegio. I met Lucas and Pablo when we were at school.
an amount cuanto Veo a mis amigos cuanto puedo. I see my friends as much as I can.
cuanto cuanta cuantos cuantas Cuantos nos conocen afirman que somos los compañeros de piso ideales. Those who know us say that we’re the ideal flatmates.
manner como
 Beatriz canta como los ángeles. Beatriz sings like an angel.

How to use Spanish relative pronouns

Que

  • que = who/what/which
  • is the most common relative pronoun in Spanish
  • can refer to people, things, concepts and events
  • can introduce both defining (no commas) and non-defining (with commas) relative clauses
Examples:
Lucas, Beatriz y Pablo, que viven conmigo, son mis mejores amigos.Lucas, Beatriz and Pablo, who live with me, are my best friends.
La camisa que lleva Pablo es de una tienda de segunda mano.The shirt [that] Pablo is wearing is from a second-hand shop.
El 17 de agosto, que es mi cumpleaños, haremos una pequeña fiesta en casa. On the 17th of August, which is my birthday, we’re going to have a small party at home.

If the relative clause is introduced by a preposition, we also need an article before que. This article agrees in gender and number with the subject of the relative clause.

Example:
Estamos tomando el sol en la terraza, desde la que se ve al parque.We’re sunbathing on the terrace from which you can see the park.
terraza = feminine singular → la que

El que

  • means the same as que (= who/what/which)
  • agrees in gender and number with the subject of the relative clause: el que/la que/los que/las que
Example:
Pablo, el que tiene barba, es el más joven de todos. Pablo, who has a beard, is the youngest of all.
Pablo = masculine singular → el que
La foto en la que salgo con el pelo corto fue tomada por mi padre. The photo where I’ve got short hair was taken by my father.
foto = feminine singular → la que
  • if el que (or its variants) is preceded by a preposition, it can introduce both defining and non-defining relative clauses
Example:
Mi amigo Lucas, al que conozco desde mi infancia, es muy divertido. My friend Lucas, who I’ve known since childhood, is very funny.
preposition a; commas = non-defining relative clause
Las personas con las que vivo son mis mejores amigos. The people [that] I live with are my best friends.
preposition con; no commas = defining relative clause
  • if there is no preposition, el que can only introduce a non-defining relative clause (with commas)
Examples:
Pablo, el que tiene barba, es el más joven de todos. Pablo, who has a beard, is the youngest of all.
no preposition before el que = non-defining relative clause

Are que and el que interchangeable?

In terms of meaning, yes, que and el que are the same; in terms of use, there is a slight difference between que and el que.

In a nutshell: use que unless there is a preposition or there is a risk of ambiguity, in which case we use el que and its variants to make the subject of the relative clause clear.

Look at how the different variants of el que change the meaning of the same sentence below:

Examples:
La hermana de Pablo, la que vive en Cuba, acaba de encontrar un trabajo en las Naciones Unidas. Pablo’s sister, who lives in Cuba, has just got a job at the UN.
la que = Pablo’s sister lives in Cuba
La hermana de Pablo, el que vive en Cuba, acaba de encontrar un trabajo en las Naciones Unidas. Pablo’s sister, who lives in Cuba, has just got a job at the UN.
el que = Pablo lives in Cuba
La hermana de Pablo, que vive en Cuba, acaba de encontrar un trabajo en las Naciones Unidas. Pablo’s sister, who lives in Cuba, has just got a job at the UN.
just que = unclear whether it is Pablo or his sister who lives in Cuba

Sometimes, whether the verb is singular or plural allows us to identify the subject of the relative clause. In such cases, we don’t need to use el que or its variants.

Examples:
Los dueños del restaurante de abajo, que nos conocen a todos, nos invitan a menudo a cenar. The owners of the restaurant downstairs, who know us all, often invite us to dinner.
subject = los dueños (plural)
Los dueños del restaurante de abajo, que tiene una estrella Michelin, nos invitan a menudo a cenar. The owners of the restaurant downstairs, which has a Michelin star, often invite us to dinner.
subject = el restaurante (singular)

El cual

  • same meaning as (el) que (= who/what/which)
  • agrees in gender and number with the subject of the relative clause (el cual/la cual/los cuales/las cuales)
  • only appears in formal contexts
Example:
Pablo, el cual/que tiene barba, es el más joven de todos. Pablo, who has a beard, is the youngest of all.
  • if preceded by a preposition, el cual (just like el que) can be used with both defining and non-defining clauses
Example:
Mi amigo Lucas, al cual conozco desde mi infancia, siempre viste de negro. My friend Lucas, who I’ve known since childhood, always wears black.
preposition a; commas = non-defining relative clause
Las personas con las cuales salgo en la foto son mis mejores amigos. The people I’m with on the photo are my best friends.
preposition con; no commas = defining relative clause
  • without a preposition, el cual can only be used in non-defining relative clauses (with commas)
Example:
Pablo, el cual tiene barba, es el más joven de todos. Pablo, who has a beard, is the youngest of all.
no preposition = non-defining relative clause

Is there a difference between el que and el cual?

When preceded by a preposition, el que and el cual have the same meaning, although the latter is usually reserved for formal contexts.

Example:
Mi amigo Lucas, al cual conozco desde mi infancia, siempre viste de negro.
= Mi amigo Lucas, al que conozco desde mi infancia, siempre viste de negro. My friend Lucas, who I’ve known since childhood, always wears black.

Without a preposition, el cual means que.

Example:
Pablo, el cual tiene barba, es el más joven de todos.
= Pablo, que tiene barba, es el más joven de todos. Pablo, who has a beard, is the youngest of all.

Without a preposition, el que helps distinguish the subject of the relative clause (= the one who …).

Example:
Pablo, el que tiene barba, es el más joven de todos. Pablo, the one with the beard, is the youngest of all.

Lo que, lo cual

  • refer to an entire clause or an idea
  • lo cual must refer to something explicitly stated in the main clause
  • lo que can refer to an implicit idea
Examples:
Hoy vienen mis padres a cenar, lo que/lo cual me alegra mucho.Today my friends are coming for dinner, which I’m really happy about.
Lo que te conté es un secreto.What I told you is a secret.
not: Lo cual te conté

Quien

  • always refers to a person (= who)
  • has a plural form (quienes)
  • is only used in written Spanish
  • without a preposition, quien can be used instead of que in non-defining relative clauses (between commas).
Example:
Beatriz, quien/que siempre se hace una trenza, es una informática excelente. Beatriz, who always wears a braid, is an excellent computer scientist.
  • if preceded by a preposition, quien can be used instead of el que or el cual and their variants in both defining and non-defining relative clauses
Examples:
Mis padres, con quienes/los que/los cuales me llevo muy bien, vienen hoy a cenar.My parents, who I get on with really well, are coming for dinner today.
He quedado con quien/el que/el cual viste en el parque el otro día.I’m meeting with who you saw in the park yesterday.
  • quien can also refer to something that is not explicitly stated in the main clause
Example:
Quien avisa no es traidor. Whoever informs is not a traitor.
Quienes nos conocen saben que somos muy buenos amigos. Everyone who knows us knows that we are good friends.

Remember

  • In defining relative clauses, we can’t replace que with quien or el cual and its variants:
    Example:
    La camisa que lleva Pablo es de una tienda de segunda mano. The shirt [that] Pablo is wearing is from a second-hand shop.
    not: La camisa la cual lleva Pablo
  • We can only use el que, el cual and quien in defining relative clauses if they follow a preposition:
    Example:
    La camisa con la que sale Pablo en la foto es de una tienda de segunda mano. The shirt [that] Pablo is wearing in the photo is from a second-hand shop.

Cuyo/a/os/as

  • expresses possession (= whose)
  • can only be used with non-defining relative clauses (between commas)
  • is restricted to written language
  • agrees in gender and number with the possession not with the owner.
Example:
Pablo, cuya sonrisa es muy bonita, baila muy bien.Pablo, whose smile is beautiful, is a good dancer.
sonrisa = feminine singular → cuya
  • in spoken language, we prefer to reformulate the sentence rather than use cuyo and its variants
Example:
Pablo, que tiene una sonrisa muy bonita, baila muy bien.Pablo, who has a beautiful smile, is a good dancer.

Donde

  • refers to a place (= where)
  • depending on the preposition it is combined with, donde can refer to origin (de donde), departure point (desde donde), location (en donde), transit (por donde) or destination (a donde/adonde)
Example:
Esa es la tienda (en) donde Pablo compró su camisa. That is the shop where Pablo bought his shirt.
the use of en is optional here
  • is interchangeable with en el que or al que and their variants
Example:
Esa es la tienda en la que Pablo compró su camisa. That is the shop where Pablo bought his shirt.

Cuando

  • refers to a time (= when)
Example:
La semana pasada, cuando volví de vacaciones, llovió sin parar.Last week, when I came back from holiday, it rained non-stop.

Cuanto

  • refers to a quantity or an amount
  • is restricted to formal contexts
Example:
Veo a mis amigos cuanto puedo. I see my friends as much as I can.
  • when used without gender and number agreement, cuanto means everything
Example:
Le contó a la policía cuanto recordaba. I told the police everything I could remember.
  • when used with gender and number agreement, cuanto/cuanta/cuantos/cuantas means everyone
Example:
Cuantos nos conocen afirman que somos los compañeros de piso ideales. Everyone who knows us agrees that we’re the ideal flatmates.

Como

  • refers to manner (= like)
Example:
Beatriz canta como los ángeles.Beatriz sings like an angel.

Indicative or Subjunctive in Relative Clauses

Non-defining relative clauses are formed with the verb in the indicative.

Example:
Antonio, que lleva gafas, está en mi clase. Antonio, who wears glasses, is in my class. (present indicative of estar)

Defining relative clauses can be formed with the indicative, the infinitive or the subjunctive.

Example:
Estos son los amigos con los que paso mi tiempo. These are my friends who I spend my time with. (present indicative of pasar)
Para mí, un amigo es alguien en quien confiar. For me, a friend is someone in whom you can trust. (infinitive)
No hay nadie que baile como Laura. There is no one who can dance like Laura. (present subjunctive of bailar)

We have to use the subjunctive when the relative clause …

  • comes after a negation
    Example:
    No hay ninguna amiga que me comprenda como Laura. No other friend understands me like Laura.
  • expresses a wish, permission, prohibition, or a subjective evaluation
    Example:
    Me gustaría tener una bicicleta que me permitiese ir a visitarla. I’d like to have a bike that would allow me to go and visit her.