This French B1 lesson explains relative pronouns in French step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on relative pronouns in French and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: Relative pronouns link two sentences into one description. Use qui for a subject, que for a direct object, où for a place or a time, and dont for anything introduced by de or for whose. Without a noun before them, use ce qui, ce que or ce dont.
Level: French B1 (CEFR intermediate) · Standards: CEFR B1, Writing
Relative pronouns in French: the lesson
What do relative pronouns do in a description?
A relative pronoun joins two short sentences into one richer description. It replaces a noun you have already named, so nothing is repeated. In French the choice depends on the job of the pronoun inside the new clause, not on the English word you would use.
| Pronoun | Job in the clause | Example |
|---|---|---|
| qui | subject | un quartier qui change vite |
| que (qu’) | direct object | un quartier que j’adore |
| où | place or time | le quartier où j’habite |
| dont | replaces de + noun | un quartier dont on parle |
| ce qui, ce que, ce dont | no noun before them | ce qui me plaît |
How do you choose between qui and que?
Rule
Qui is the subject of the new clause and is followed directly by a verb. Que is the direct object and is followed by a subject. Que becomes qu’ before a vowel; qui never changes.
Examples
Léa est la collègue qui parle trois langues. — Léa is the colleague who speaks three languages.
C’est le quartier que mes parents ont choisi. — It is the neighborhood my parents chose.
Le pain qu’elle achète vient de la boulangerie d’à côté. — The bread she buys comes from the bakery next door.
When que stands before a verb in the passé composé with avoir, the past participle agrees with the noun it replaces: les clés que j’ai perdues.
When do you use où and dont?
Où replaces a place or a time: la rue où je suis née, le jour où il est arrivé. Dont replaces de + noun. It appears after verbs and expressions that take de, such as avoir besoin de, rêver de, parler de and être fier de. It also means whose.
Examples
Voici le livre dont j’ai besoin. — Here is the book I need.
J’ai une amie dont le frère est chef à Abidjan. — I have a friend whose brother is a chef in Abidjan.
Common mistake
English often drops the pronoun (the book I bought). French never does: le livre que j’ai acheté. Do not use que for a place: say la ville où j’habite. After dont, keep the article and the normal order: dont le frère, never dont son frère.
What do ce qui, ce que and ce dont mean?
When there is no noun before the pronoun, add ce: ce qui (subject), ce que (object), ce dont (de). They mean what or the thing that: Ce qui m’étonne, c’est le prix. — What surprises me is the price. Je ne sais pas ce que tu cherches. — I do not know what you are looking for. Voilà ce dont j’ai peur. — That is what I am afraid of.
Culture note
Paris is divided into 20 districts called arrondissements. People describe where they live with où: le quartier où j’habite, dans le onzième.
Zoé’s tip
Ask what the pronoun replaces. If you could put elle or il there, use qui. If you could put la or le after the subject, use que. If a preposition de fits, use dont.
Key points to remember
- Qui is followed by a verb; que is followed by a subject and a verb.
- Que becomes qu’ before a vowel, but qui never elides.
- Où replaces a place or a time: la rue où j’habite, le jour où il est parti.
- Dont replaces de + noun and also means whose: dont le frère.
- French never drops the relative pronoun, unlike English: le livre que j’ai lu.
Describing people and places with qui, que, où, dont: frequently asked questions
What is the difference between qui and que in French?
Qui replaces the subject of the second clause, so a verb comes right after it. Que replaces the direct object, so a subject comes after it. People and things can follow either pronoun.
When do you use dont instead of que?
Use dont when the verb or expression takes de: avoir besoin de, parler de, rêver de. Use it also for possession: une voisine dont le fils joue du violon. Que never replaces de + noun.
Can you use où for time as well as place?
Yes. Où works after nouns of time such as le jour, l’année or le moment: le jour où nous sommes arrivés. This is the French equivalent of the day when.
Why does the past participle agree after que?
When the direct object comes before the verb, the participle agrees with it in gender and number. In les photos que j’ai prises, the participle takes -es because que stands for les photos.
What does ce qui mean?
Ce qui means what as a subject: Ce qui me plaît, c’est le calme. It is used when no noun comes before the pronoun. Use ce que for an object and ce dont for de.