A relative pronoun connects a noun to a clause that gives more information about it. In English, who, which, and that can serve this function.
French uses qui when the noun is the subject of the relative clause and que when it is the direct object.
Qui as the subject
Qui replaces the subject of the relative clause. It can refer to either a person or a thing.
The verb follows qui directly:
noun + qui + verb
A verb follows qui because qui is the relative clause's subject:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| La femme qui parle est ma sœur. | The woman who is speaking is my sister. |
| J'aime le livre qui est sur la table. | I like the book that is on the table. |
| Nous cherchons un hôtel qui accepte les chiens. | We're looking for a hotel that accepts dogs. |
| Il connaît quelqu'un qui travaille ici. | He knows someone who works here. |
| Les étudiants qui arrivent maintenant sont en retard. | The students who are arriving now are late. |
Que as the direct object
Que replaces the direct object of the relative clause. It can also refer to either a person or a thing.
A subject appears after que:
noun + que + subject + verb
The noun before que receives the action expressed in the relative clause:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Le livre que je lis est intéressant. | The book that I'm reading is interesting. |
| La femme que tu connais arrive demain. | The woman you know is arriving tomorrow. |
| Voici le film que nous voulons voir. | Here's the film we want to see. |
| C'est la voiture qu'elle préfère. | It's the car she prefers. |
| Les photos que vous regardez sont anciennes. | The photos you're looking at are old. |
Que becomes qu' before a vowel sound or silent h.
Subject and object roles of qui and que
The choice between qui and que depends on the pronoun's role in the relative clause. The person or thing it refers to does not determine the choice.
With qui, the noun performs the action:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je connais la femme qui travaille ici. | I know the woman who works here. |
| Voici le train qui va à Lyon. | Here's the train that goes to Lyon. |
With que, another subject performs the action on the noun:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je connais la femme que Paul appelle. | I know the woman Paul is calling. |
| Voici le train que nous prenons. | Here's the train we're taking. |
The word immediately after the relative pronoun can help reveal the difference. A verb normally follows qui, while a subject normally follows que.
From learning to practice
When you hear someone add information about a person or thing, listen to what follows the relative pronoun. A verb after qui or a subject after que can help you recognize the pronoun's role before the sentence is complete.