French Relative Pronouns (Table And Usage Guide)
The five French relative pronouns are qui, que, dont, où and lequel.
These connecting words help link clauses by referring to a previously mentioned noun, making sentences more cohesive. They correspond to words like which, that, who, and whom in English.
Each relative pronoun has a specific function based on whether it acts as a subject, object, or relates to possession or location.
Keep reading and I'll explain them in more detail.
French relative pronoun table
Here's a compact table of the 5 relative pronouns in French for your reference:
| Pronoun | Function(s) | English Equivalent(s) | Sample Phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dont | Object of preposition "de", Possession indicator | from which, of which, whose, that | Le livre dont je parle. (The book I'm talking about.) |
| Lequel | Object of a preposition | which, that | Le film dans lequel il joue. (The movie in which he acts.) |
| Où | Place or time indicator | when, where, which, that | La ville où je suis né. (The city where I was born.) |
| Que | Direct object | that, which, whom | Le livre que j'ai lu. (The book that I read.) |
| Qui | Subject, Object (person) of preposition | who, which, whom, that | La femme qui parle. (The woman who is speaking.) |
Different forms
To make it all more complicated for you, French relative pronouns come in three forms: simple, complex, and augmented.
Here's a breakdown of each:
1. Simple Forms
Simple relative pronouns directly connect clauses without requiring additional prepositions.
They often stand alone and are used based on their function within the sentence.
Qui: Refers to the subject (people or things) of a clause.
La personne qui parle.
Que: Refers to the direct object of a clause.
Le livre que j’ai lu.
Où: Refers to time or place.
L’endroit où nous sommes allés.
Dont: Used to indicate possession or as an object of the preposition "de."
Le livre dont je parle.
2. Complex Forms
Complex forms combine a preposition with the relative pronoun lequel and its variants (laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles), which agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.
They are used when a preposition is required in the relative clause.
Lequel / Laquelle / Lesquels / Lesquelles: Refers to things (and occasionally people) following a preposition.
Le livre dans lequel j’ai écrit.
Les films auxquels je pense.
3. Augmented Forms
Augmented forms involve the combination of qui or que with prepositions (other than "de"), often to introduce a more nuanced connection between clauses.
À qui / De qui: Refers to people and is used with prepositions.
L’homme à qui j’ai parlé.
Avec qui / Pour qui: Refers to people with prepositions like "with" or "for."
La femme avec qui il travaille.
These augmented forms are most commonly used when dealing with people, while lequel and its variants are typically used for things.
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