Relative pronouns are essential in Spanish because they connect two ideas or clauses in a single sentence. Two of the most common relatives are que and quien. Sometimes they are often confused, so it is important to understand the difference between these Spanish relatives que and quien. In this article, we will carefully explain how each one works, provide plenty of examples, and finish with exercises.

Spanish Relatives Que and Quien

Before going into details, it is important to remember that Spanish relatives que and quien are used to connect ideas in a clear way. These pronouns can be translated as who, whom, which, or that in English. To make their roles clearer, here we will look at each pronoun separately to understand how and when to use it.

The Relative Pronoun Que

The relative que is the most frequently used of all Spanish relatives. It can mean that, which, who, or whom depending on context. It is highly flexible and can refer to both people and things.

Notice that in the following sentences, que connects the main clause with extra information. Some refer to a thing (el libro, las películas), and others refer to a person (la mujer, una chica). This shows that que is versatile and often the default choice.

El libro que compré ayer en la librería es muy interesante.

The book that I bought yesterday in the bookstore is very interesting.

La mujer que vive al lado de mi casa trabaja en la biblioteca.

The woman who lives next to my house works in the library.

A mis hermanas no les gustaron las películas que vimos anoche.

My sisters did not like the movies that we watched last night.

Nuestra prima conoce a una chica que canta muy bien en español.

Our cousin knows a girl who sings very well in Spanish.

The Relative Pronoun Quien

The relative quien is more specific. It refers only to people, never to things. In English, it usually corresponds to who or whom. Unlike que, it appears after prepositions and in non-defining clauses.

Notice that quien is used here because the sentence either has a preposition (con quien, a quien) or because it introduces extra information between commas (quienes viven en el campo, quien es profesora de matemáticas).

Ese es el profesor con quien estudié inglés el año pasado.

That is the teacher with whom I studied English last year.

Mis abuelos, quienes viven en el campo, tienen una huerta.

My grandparents, who live in the countryside, have a garden.

El médico a quien llamaste ya no trabaja en este hospital.

The doctor whom you called no longer works in this hospital.

Mi tía, quien es profesora de matemáticas, vive en Madrid.

My aunt, who is a math teacher, lives in Madrid.

Key Differences Between Que and Quien

These are the main differences between the Spanish relatives que and quien:

  1. Que can refer to both people and things. Quien refers only to people.
  2. Que is the more common and general relative pronoun.
  3. Quien is used after prepositions or in non-defining clauses.
  4. Quien should agree in number with the noun it refers to: quien (singular) and quienes (plural).

When in doubt, we recommend using que, except after prepositions referring to people, where quien is preferred.

Exercises

Now that you have studied the explanations and examples, it is time to test your understanding. The following activities will help you check how well you can use Spanish relatives que and quien in real sentences.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Categorized in:

Grammar