Relative Pronouns: qui, que, où, dont

📌 Note de grammaire

'Qui' replaces a subject noun (person or thing) and immediately precedes a verb. It translates to 'who', 'which', or 'that' in English. It can never be omitted.

📌 Note de grammaire

'Que' replaces a direct object noun (person or thing) and is followed by a subject and a verb. It becomes qu' before a vowel or mute h. It translates to 'whom', 'which', or 'that' (and is often optional in English, but mandatory in French).

📌 Note de grammaire

'Où' replaces a place or a point in time. It translates to 'where' or 'when' in English. It prevents awkward prepositional phrasing like 'dans lequel' in everyday contexts.

📌 Note de grammaire

'Dont' replaces a noun phrase introduced by the preposition 'de'. It is used with verbs, adjectives, or nouns that require 'de' (e.g., parler de, avoir besoin de, l'ami de qui). It translates to 'whose', 'of which', or 'about which'.

📌 Note de grammaire

When expressing 'whose' in French, the structure is: [Noun 1] + dont + [definite article: le/la/les] + [Noun 2]. This links an object or person back to its owner.

📌 Note de grammaire

'Qui' never elides before a vowel (qui a remains qui a). However, 'que' always elides to qu' before a vowel or mute h (que il becomes qu'il).

📌 Note de grammaire

When referring to a person after a preposition (like avec, pour, chez, sur), use the stressed pronoun form with 'qui' rather than 'lequel'.

📌 Note de grammaire

For things (objects/ideas) after prepositions (except 'de'), use compound relative pronouns that agree in gender and number: duquel, auquel, par lequel, sur lequel, etc.

📌 Note de grammaire

Prepositions 'à' and 'de' combine with 'lequel', 'lesquels', and 'lesquelles'. À + lequel = auquel, à + lesquels = auxquels. De + lequel = duquel, de + lesquels = desquels.

📌 Note de grammaire

'Ce qui' means 'what' or 'that which' when it represents an entire preceding clause or an unspecified idea functioning as a grammatical subject.

📌 Note de grammaire

'Ce que' (becoming ce qu' before a vowel) means 'what' or 'that which' when it functions as the direct object of the verb in the relative clause.

📌 Note de grammaire

'Ce dont' translates to 'what' or 'that which' when referring to something requiring the preposition 'de' (such as avoir besoin de or parler de).