Have you ever already managed to get the gist of formal French, mastered announcing the tough u and ou sounds and bought a system for memorizing new phrases?

Nicely accomplished! Now it’s time to begin utilizing French pronouns in sentences, particularly relative pronouns. 

The 5 essential relative pronouns in French are qui, que, lequel, dont and où. 

Observe this information to be taught when and the right way to use French relative pronouns and what sources you should use to apply your new expertise. 

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Why to Use French Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns join two concepts, or clauses, with out a conjunction like “and” or “however.” 

Let’s take a look at an instance:

J’aime le livre qui a la couverture rouge. (I just like the guide that has the purple cowl.)

On this case, there are two concepts.

The primary is J’aime le livre (I just like the guide). 

The second is a la couverture rouge (has the purple cowl).

This phrase has a verb—a from the verb avoir (to have) — and an object — la couverture rouge — but it surely additionally has an invisible topic: le livre (the guide), which is known to have a purple cowl.

So, how can we join these two concepts with out a conjunction?

You guessed it! With a relative pronoun!

Relative pronouns can exchange topics, direct objects, oblique objects and prepositions.

The translations to English should not actual for every pronoun, so as a substitute of attempting to hyperlink relative pronouns to English phrases, this weblog put up will clarify the place and why every is used.

Most Generally Used Relative Pronouns

Qui and que are two of the most typical relative pronouns, they usually roughly translate to the English phrase “that.” 

The relative pronoun que replaces a direct object whereas qui replaces the topic. 

Let’s talk about every of them in additional element. 

Que

Check out these two sentences:

Tu as le livre. J’aime ce livre. (You’ve got the guide. I like that guide.)

So as to join the 2 sentences, we should use a relative pronoun. By utilizing one, we’ll exchange the redundant utilization of livre within the second clause.

In different phrases, we’ll use the relative pronoun que to interchange the direct object (an object of the verb with out a preposition):

Tu as le livre que j’aime.  (You’ve got the guide that I like.)

Qui

In contrast to que, qui  is used to interchange a topic.

Try this instance:

Elle achète le livre. Ce livre a 900 pages.  (She buys the guide. That guide has 900 pages.)

On this instance, we’ll nonetheless use the relative pronoun to interchange the redundant use of the noun livre within the second sentence.

On this case, nonetheless, the noun livre within the dependent clause shouldn’t be a direct object — it’s a topic. Due to this, we use the relative pronoun qui.

Elle achète le livre qui a 900 pages.  (She buys the guide that has 900 pages.)

The relative pronoun qui also can exchange an oblique object after a preposition—except for the pronoun de (of)—most often.

Nonetheless, it may solely exchange oblique objects which are individuals.

Try this instance:

Monique est une femme. Je travaille avec Monique. (Monique is a girl. I work with Monique.)

Within the second sentence, the noun Monique is the oblique object of the verb travailler  (work) as a result of it’s linked to the verb with the preposition avec (with).

To keep away from repetition of the phrase Monique and to attach the 2 sentences, we transfer the preposition avec to the spot between the 2 phrases and add the relative pronoun qui:

Monique est une femme avec qui je travaille. (Monique is a girl who I work with.)

We’ll talk about the relative pronouns that may exchange oblique objects within the subsequent part.

Relative Pronouns Changing Oblique Objects

Up till now, nearly all of this put up has talked about changing topics and direct objects. Nicely, what about oblique objects (objects that come after a preposition)?

Let’s simply say you might have some guidelines to observe.

Lequel

Lequel and its variants exchange an oblique object after a preposition a lot in the identical manner qui does (once more, de is a little bit of an exception—we’ll get there).

The principle distinction right here is that lequel is extra generally used with issues than individuals. Secondly, it has variants: It modifications its type relying on the gender and variety of the oblique object.

Try these examples:

Je vois le bureau sur lequel j’ai mis mon stylo. (I see the desk on which I put my pen.)

The oblique object bureau is masculine singular, so we use the relative pronoun lequel.

Je vois la cuillère avec laquelle je mange la soupe. (I see the spoon with which I eat the soup.)

The oblique object cuillère is female singular, so we use the relative pronoun laquelle.

Je vois les bureaux sur lesquels j’ai mis les stylos. (I see the desks on which I put the pens.)

The oblique object bureaux is masculine plural, so we use the relative pronoun lesquels.

Je vois les cuillères avec lesquelles nous mangeons la soupe. (I see the spoons with which we eat the soup.)

The oblique object cuillères is female plural, so we use the relative pronoun lesquelles.

Prepared for extra guidelines?

Not solely do these relative pronouns change relying on the gender and variety of the oblique object, however additionally they merge with the prepositions à (at) and de (of).

Test it out:

Two notes:

• The female singular of the oblique objects don’t merge with the prepositions à and de: à laquelle and de laquelle don’t merge.

• Duquel and its companions are solely used when de is a part of a prepositional phrase equivalent to within the case of à côté de (beside) and près de (close to). If it’s by itself, we use dont.

Different Relative Pronouns

Nonetheless with me? That was rather a lot to absorb. Let’s look now at two different relative pronouns which are a bit of simpler to observe.

Dont

I really feel like after each point out of relative pronouns changing an oblique object I’ve all the time mentioned “except for de.” Nicely, now it’s time for de to shine!

The relative pronoun dont replaces the preposition de and its oblique object.

Try this instance:

Où est le livre ? J’ai besoin du livre. (The place is the guide? I would like the guide.)

This turns into:

Où est le livre dont j’ai besoin ? (The place is the guide that I would like?)

Où

Prepared for a simple one? Où replaces areas. It additionally means “the place.”

Examine this out:

Voici la banque. Je travaille à la banque. (There may be the financial institution. I work on the financial institution.)

This turns into:

Voici la banque où je travaille. (There may be the financial institution the place I work.)

Easy as pie!

Indefinite Relative Pronouns

In contrast to the opposite relative pronouns I’ve already mentioned that exchange particular pronouns — ones launched by a particular article like le, la or les (the), there are relative pronouns that may exchange nouns with indefinite pronouns.

Which means that these relative pronouns don’t reference a particular noun that they exchange.

Examine them out:

Ce qui m’intéresse, c’est la langue française. (What pursuits me is the French language.)

Ce qui is the indefinite relative pronoun for the topic place. It actually interprets to “that which.”

Sais-tu ce que j’ai fait ? (Are you aware what I did?)

Ce que is the indefinite relative pronoun for the direct object place.

Sais-tu ce dont Louis parle ? (Are you aware what Louis is speaking about?)

Ce dont is the indefinite relative pronoun for oblique objects with the preposition de.

The way to Observe French Relative Pronouns

That’s all rather a lot to absorb, however, as they are saying, apply makes excellent.

You’ll be able to attempt some quizzes that take a look at particular varieties of relative pronouns, like indefinite relative pronouns, after which attempt your hand at some that take a look at each on the similar time.

Columbia and Language Information have some extra nice ones. Or you possibly can attempt the FluentU program that teaches you the right way to use French relative pronouns by letting you hear them in genuine French movies.

This system enables you to watch how native audio system use these phrases in numerous contexts. It’s also possible to apply what you’re studying via quizzes following every video, or concentrate on particular verbs by including them to flashcard decks.

 

Right here you might have a whole information to utilizing French relative pronouns. Preserve at it, and concept will change into apply very quickly!

Obtain:
This weblog put up is offered as a handy and moveable PDF that you just
can take wherever.
Click on right here to get a duplicate. (Obtain)