ANTE TODO In both English and Spanish, relative pronouns are used to combine two sentences or clauses that share a common element, such as a noun or pronoun.

Spanish has three frequently-used relative pronouns, as shown in the following list. que that; which; who quien(es) who; whom; that lo que that which; what

¡ATENCIÓN! Interrogative words (qué, quién, etc.) always carry an accent. Relative pronouns, however, never carry a written accent.

Mis padres me regalaron la aspiradora que funciona muy bien.. Mis padres me regalaron la aspiradora. La aspiradora funciona muy bien. My parents gave me the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner works very well. Mis padres me regalaron la aspiradora que funciona muy bien.. My parents gave me the vacuum cleaner that works very well. La aspiradora que me regalaron mis padres funciona muy bien. The vacuum cleaner that my parents gave me works very well. Lourdes es muy inteligente. Lourdes estudia español. Lourdes is very intelligent Lourdes studies Spanish. Lourdes, quien estudia español, es muy inteligente. Lourdes, who studies Spanish, is very intelligent.

El hombre que limpia es Pedro. Que is the most frequently used relative pronoun. It can refer to things or to people. Unlike its English counterpart, (that/who) que is never omitted. ¿Dónde está la cafetera que compré? Where is the coffee maker (that) I bought? El hombre que limpia es Pedro. The man who is cleaning is Pedro.

¿Son las chicas de quienes me hablaste la semana pasada? The relative pronoun quien (whom/that/who) refers only to people and is often used after a preposition or the personal a. Note that quien has only two forms: quien (singular) and quienes (plural). ¿Son las chicas de quienes me hablaste la semana pasada? Are they the girls (that) you told me about last week? Eva, a quien conocí anoche, es mi nueva vecina. Eva, whom I met last night, is my new neighbor.

Lola, quien es cubana, es médica. Quien(es) is occasionally used instead of que in clauses set off by commas. Lola, quien es cubana, es médica. Lola, who is Cuban, is a doctor. Su tía, que es alemana, ya llegó. His aunt, who is German, already arrived.

Lo que me molesta es el calor. Unlike que and quien(es), lo que doesn’t refer to a specific noun. It refers to an idea, a situation, or a past event and means what, that which, or the thing that. Lo que me molesta es el calor. What bothers me is the heat. Lo que quiero es una casa. What I want is a house.

¡INTÉNTALO! Completa las siguientes oraciones con pronombres relativos. I am going to use the plates my grandmother gave me. Voy a utilizar los platos _____ me regaló mi abuela. que 2. Ana shares an apartment with the girl we met at Jorge’s party. Ana comparte un apartamento con la chica a _____ conocimos en la fiesta de Jorge. quien

3. This office has all we need 3. This office has all we need. Esta oficina tiene todo _____ necesitamos. lo que 4. You can study in the bedroom that is to the right of the kitchen. Puedes estudiar en el dormitorio _____ está a la derecha de la cocina. que

5. The men who live in that house just arrived from Central America 5. The men who live in that house just arrived from Central America. Los señores _____ viven en esa casa acaban de llegar de Centroamérica. que 6. The children whom you saw in our garden are my nephews. Los niños a _____ viste en nuestro jardín son mis sobrinos. quienes

7. The pool you see from the window is my neighbors’ pool 7. The pool you see from the window is my neighbors’ pool. La piscina _____ ves desde la ventana es la piscina de mis vecinos. que 8. It was Ursula who helped my mom clean the refrigerator. Fue Úrsula _____ ayudó a mamá a limpiar el refrigerador.

9. I already told you it was my father who rented the apartment 9. I already told you it was my father who rented the apartment. Ya te dije que fue mi padre ____ alquiló el apartamento. que 10. What Pablo told you is not true. _____ te dijo Pablo no es cierto. Lo que

11. I have to dust the furniture that is in the attic one time montlhy 11. I have to dust the furniture that is in the attic one time montlhy. Tengo que sacudir los muebles ____ están en el altillo una vez al mes. que 12. The woman whom you greeted lives in the suburbs. La mujer a ____ saludaste vive en las afueras. quien 13. Do you know what this bedroom needs? Some curtains! ¿Sabes ____ necesita este dormitorio? ¡Unas cortinas! lo que

14. I don’t want to do again what I did yesterday 14. I don’t want to do again what I did yesterday. No quiero volver a hacer ____ hice ayer. lo que 15. I don’t like living with people I don’t know. No me gusta vivir con personas a ____ no conozco. quienes