1. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-1 Relative pronouns are used to combine two sentences or clauses that share a common element, such as a noun or pronoun. Study these diagrams.

2. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-2

3. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-3

4. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-4 Spanish has three commonly used relative pronouns. Note that relative pronouns never carry an accent, unlike interrogative words (qué, quién, etc.).

5. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-5 Que, the most frequently used relative pronoun, can refer to things or to people. Unlike the English that, que is never omitted. ¿Dónde está el pastel que pedí? El hombre que sirve la comida se llama Diego. Where is the cake (that) I ordered? The man who serves the food is named Diego.

6. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-6 Uses of quien(es) and lo que Quien (singular) and quienes (plural) refer only to people and are often used after a preposition or the personal a. Eva, a quien vi anoche, cumple veinticinco años hoy. ¿Son ésas las chicas de quienes me hablaste la semana pasada? Eva, whom I saw last night, turns twenty-five today. Are those the girls you told me about last week?

7. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-7 Uses of quien(es) and lo que (cont’d) Quien(es) is occasionally used instead of que in clauses set off by commas. Lola, quien es cubana, es médica. Su tía, que es alemana, ya llegó. Lola, who is Cuban, is a doctor.Her aunt, who is German, already arrived. Mi hermana, quien vive en Madrid, me llamó por teléfono. Juan, que estuvo muy contento, brindó conmigo. My sister, who lives in Madrid, called me on the phone. Juan, who was very happy, toasted with me.

8. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-8 Uses of quien(es) and lo que (cont’d) Lo que refers to an idea, a situation, or a past event and means what or the thing that. Juana tiene todo lo que necesitamos. Lo que me molesta es el calor. Juana has everything we need.The thing that bothers me is the heat. Lo que quiero es verte.Lo que más te gusta es divertirte. What I want is to see you.What you like most is to have fun.

9. Copyright © 2014 Vista Higher Learning. All rights reserved.9.3-9 Uses of quien(es) and lo que (cont’d)