Five-minute Spanish Lessons - Lesson 13.

Relative Pronouns (2)

Who, which, that / el cual, la cual, los cuales, las cuales, quien, quienes, que, el que, la que

Identifying relative clauses:

Who or that are used when the antecedent (the noun they refer to) is a person. Either is possible. Note that in Spanish there is really only one possibility: the very versatile que, which neither changes with number or gender:

Ése (Ésa) es el hombre (la mujer) que vende las entradas para la catedral.

Formal written instructions:

Los compradores que no tienen contraseña deben solicitarla.

When the antecedent is a thing, English allows which or that in speech and informal writing though often prefers which in formal written style. However, although which may be grammatically possible in speech that is much more common. Spanish still uses que in this type of sentence:

- Yes, madam.

- The snails that you gave us are disgusting. (which is possible)

- Oiga, camarero.

- Sí, señora.

- Los caracoles que nos ha dado son asquerosos.

In a formal letter asking for employment:

Estoy interesado en el puesto que apareció en El País el domingo 30 de mayo.

After words: all, none, little, few, much, only, everything, something, anything, nothing, and in superlative sentences that is used in spoken and usually in written English too:

Esto es todo lo que he encontrado.

Note preference for lo que with todo.

Ninguno que yo conozco.

Lo poco que has hecho ha servido de gran ayuda.

No había mucho que pudiera hacer.

El dinero es lo único que importa.

No hay nada que se puede hacer.

Este es el mejor libro que he leído.

 

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