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This lesson explains how to use the relative pronoun "que" to add information about nouns like "la merienda" (the snack), "el refresco" (the soft drink), and "el menú" (the menu). Learn to form sentences such as "La merienda que comí fue saludable" to describe people and things with subordinate clauses.
  1. The relative clause with que always goes attached to the noun it refers to.
  2. "Que" refers to things or people.
  3. It is formed with: noun + que + verb + subordinate clause.
Sustantivo (Noun)Sustantivo = que relativo (Noun = that relative)Ejemplo (Example)
La merienda (The snack)Que + verbo + oración subordinadaLa merienda que comí en el restaurante fue saludable.
El refresco (The soft drink)Que + verbo + oración subordinadaEl refresco que bebimos ayer estuvo bien.
El menú (The menu)Que + verbo + oración subordinadaEl menú que queremos tiene verduras.
Mi amiga (My friend)Que + verbo + oración subordinada Mi amiga, que me ha recomendado esta dieta también, me ha mostrado unos ejercicios.

 

Exercise 1: El relativo "que"

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Beber (Yo), Comer (Ellos), Tomar (Nosotros), que ha preparado, Hacer (Tú), que haces, que bebí, Preparar (Ella), Preparar (Vosotros): , Seguir (Yo), que necesito, que comieron, que tomamos, Necesito (Yo), que preparasteis, que sigo

1.
... :La dieta ... me ayuda a sentirme más saludable.
(The diet that I follow helps me feel healthier.)
2.
...: El ejercicio... todos los días te ayuda sentirte mejor.
(Doing (You): The exercise that you do every day helps you feel better.)
3.
...La comida ... ayer estaba deliciosa.
(Prepare (You all): The food you all prepared yesterday was delicious.)
4.
...: La merienda ... a media tarde fue muy ligera.
(Eat (They): The snack they ate in the mid-afternoon was very light.)
5.
...: El refresco ... ayer me hizo sentir mal.
(Drink (I): The soft drink that I drank yesterday made me feel ill.)
6.
...: El menú ... para esta semana tiene muchas verduras.
(Prepare (She): The menu she has prepared for this week has lots of vegetables.)
7.
...: La bebida ... después del entrenamiento fue energética.
(To drink (We): The drink that we had after training was energy drink.)
8.
...:El ingrediente ... para la receta es aceite de oliva.
(I need: The ingredient I need for the recipe is olive oil.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Select the correct sentence that properly uses the relative pronoun 'que' to provide more information about the noun, avoiding common mistakes in its use.

1.
Error: el verbo debe concordar en singular con 'plato'; no se usa 'están' en plural.
Error: el pronombre relativo correcto es 'que', no 'quien', que se usa solo para personas.
2.
Error: falta concordancia; debe ser 'está' (singular) y no 'están' porque 'pan' es singular.
Error: el relativo debe ser 'que', no 'quien', ya que se refiere a cosa.
3.
Error: falta concordancia; 'ingredientes' es plural y requiere 'están', no 'está'.
Error: el verbo debe concordar en singular con 'zumo'; no se usa 'son' en plural.
4.
Error: el pronombre correcto para cosas es 'que', no 'quien'.
Error: falta concordancia; 'fruta' está en singular y el verbo debe concordar en singular, no plural.

Understanding the Relative Pronoun "que" in Spanish

This lesson focuses on the use of the relative pronoun "que", a fundamental part of Spanish grammar used to add more information about a noun within a sentence. It is an essential tool to create complex sentences by linking a main noun with additional descriptive information.

What is "que" in Relative Sentences?

In Spanish, "que" is used in relative clauses to provide further details about a noun, whether it refers to things or people. The relative clause always connects directly to the noun it describes. The basic structure is:

noun + que + verb + subordinate clause

Examples from the Lesson

  • La merienda que comí en el restaurante fue saludable. (The snack that I ate at the restaurant was healthy.)
  • El refresco que bebimos ayer estuvo bien. (The drink that we drank yesterday was good.)
  • El menú que queremos tiene verduras. (The menu that we want has vegetables.)
  • Mi amiga, que me ha recomendado esta dieta también, me ha mostrado unos ejercicios. (My friend, who has also recommended this diet to me, has shown me some exercises.)

Common Uses and Important Notes

  • "Que" refers to both people and things. It connects the noun with the verb phrase explaining or specifying more about the noun.
  • Concordance between the noun and the verb is essential. The verb in the relative clause must agree in number with the noun it refers to.
  • Unlike English, Spanish does not use relative pronouns like "which" or "that" separately; "que" covers these roles.

Differences Between English and Spanish Relative Clauses

In English, relative clauses often use "who," "which," or "that" depending on the noun: people (who), things (which/that). In Spanish, "que" is the universal relative pronoun for both people and things, simplifying sentence formation.

Moreover, verb agreement is crucial in Spanish: the verb following "que" must match the noun it refers to in both number and person. For example, "El plato que cocine9 este1 delicioso" (The dish that I cooked is delicious) uses singular verbs matching the singular noun plato.

Useful Words and Phrases

  • La merienda: the snack
  • El refresco: the soft drink
  • El menú: the menu
  • Mi amiga: my friend
  • Que: that/who/which (relative pronoun)
  • Oración subordinada: subordinate clause

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