How to use the relative pronouns : Qui - Que - Dont - Où ?

What's a relative pronoun ?

A relative pronoun makes it possible to link two sentences together without repeating the noun concerned in the sentence. A relative pronoun will introduce additional information about the noun.

The relative pronoun "qui" : 

The relative pronoun "qui" replaces the subject (person, thing, animal or idea) of the verb that follows.

Elle parle à un homme. Il porte une cravate rouge.
→ Elle parle à un homme qui porte une cravate rouge.

It's the subject (un homme) who realises the action of the verb (porter). 

The relative pronoun "que" : 

The relative pronoun "que" takes up the object complement (person, thing, animal or idea) of the verb that follows.

L'homme porte une cravate bleue. Je le regarde.
→ L'homme que je regarde porte une cravate bleue.

It's me (je) who carries out the action of the verb (regarder) that follows the complement (l'homme). 

⚠️ When the relative pronoun "que" is placed in front of a word beginning with a vowel, elision is mandatory: Le chien qu'elle a acheté.

The relative pronoun "dont" : 

The relative pronoun "dont" takes the object complement (person, thing, animal or idea) of a verb that is constructed with the preposition "de".

Je te parle d'un homme. Il porte une cravate verte.
→ L'homme dont je te parle porte une cravate verte.

In the same way as with the relative pronoun "que", it's me (je) who carries out the action of the verb (parler de) that follows the complement (l'homme). However, we use the relative pronoun "dont", because the verb "parler de" is constructed with the preposition "de" (parer de quelque chose / de quelqu'un).

The relative pronoun "où" : 

The relative pronoun "où" allows to replace a complement of place or time.

With a complement of place :
Je suis allé dans une ville. Elle était très belle.
→ La ville où je suis allé était très belle.

With a complement of time :
Je t'ai rencontré un jour. C'était un jeudi.
→ Le jour où je t'ai rencontré était un jeudi.

How do I know if I should use : qui - que - dont - où ?

To know when you should use "qui", "que", "dont" or "où", I've created this mindmap : 

Relative pronouns no longer hold any secrets for you!

If you still have doubts, test your understanding with an MCQ right here ⬇️

I'll see you soon for new adventures in French, of course! 🇫🇷