French Relative Clauses: Qui, Que, Dont, Où, Lequel — The Complete Map

Target: 1,800+ words

Relative clauses are the glue of advanced French. They let you combine short, choppy sentences into elegant, complex ones. And they're everywhere in TEF/TCF reading passages.

The problem? French has more relative pronouns than English, and choosing the wrong one is a dead giveaway of intermediate-level French.

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Part 1: What Is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause provides extra information about a noun (the antecedent).

• Two sentences: "J'ai un ami. Cet ami parle chinois."
• Combined: "J'ai un ami qui parle chinois."

The relative pronoun (qui) replaces the repeated noun and connects the two ideas.

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Part 2: QUI — The Subject Pronoun

QUI replaces the subject of the relative clause.

• "La femme qui parle est ma mère." (The woman who is speaking is my mother.)
• "Le livre qui est sur la table est intéressant." (The book that is on the table is interesting.)

Rule: QUI is always followed directly by a verb (no subject between them).

For people and things: QUI works for both.

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Part 3: QUE — The Direct Object Pronoun

QUE replaces the direct object of the relative clause.

• "Le film que j'ai vu était excellent." (The movie that I saw was excellent.)
• "La personne que tu cherches est partie." (The person you're looking for has left.)

Rule: QUE is followed by a subject + verb (because it IS the object, not the subject).

Agreement trap: In the Passé Composé, the past participle agrees with the antecedent when QUE precedes it.

• "Les fleurs que j'ai achetées sont belles." (Feminine plural agreement!)

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Part 4: DONT — The "De" Replacement

DONT replaces any element introduced by DE.

4a. Verbs that use "de"

• Parler de → "Le sujet dont je parle..." (The subject I'm talking about)
• Avoir besoin de → "L'outil dont j'ai besoin..." (The tool I need)
• Se souvenir de → "Le jour dont je me souviens..." (The day I remember)

4b. Expressing possession

• "L'homme dont la voiture est rouge..." (The man whose car is red)
• Structure: DONT + Subject + Verb (never "dont son/sa")

4c. Complément du nom

• "La maison dont le toit est cassé..." (The house whose roof is broken)

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Part 5: OÙ — Place and Time

OÙ replaces expressions of place or time.

Place:

• "La ville où je suis né est petite." (The city where I was born is small.)
• "Le restaurant où nous avons mangé était cher."

Time:

• "Le jour où il est arrivé..." (The day when he arrived)
• "L'année où tout a changé..." (The year when everything changed)

Note: In English we say "the day when", but in French it's "le jour où" (not "le jour quand").

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Part 6: LEQUEL and Its Forms — After Prepositions

When the relative pronoun comes after a preposition (à, avec, pour, dans, sur, etc.) and refers to a thing, use LEQUEL.

Contractions with "à":

• à + lequel = auquel
• à + lesquels = auxquels
• à + lesquelles = auxquelles
• (à + laquelle stays: à laquelle)

Contractions with "de":

• de + lequel = duquel
• de + lesquels = desquels
• (But usually DONT is preferred over duquel)

Examples:

• "La table sur laquelle j'ai posé le livre..." (The table on which I placed the book)
• "Le projet auquel je participe..." (The project in which I'm participating)
• "Les raisons pour lesquelles il est parti..." (The reasons for which he left)

For people after prepositions: Use QUI!

• "La personne avec qui je travaille..." (Not "avec laquelle" in standard usage)
• "L'ami pour qui j'ai acheté ce cadeau..."

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Part 7: CE QUI, CE QUE, CE DONT — The "What" Relatives

When there's no specific antecedent (the pronoun means "what" or "that which"):

• Ce qui (subject): "Ce qui m'intéresse, c'est la musique." (What interests me...)
• Ce que (object): "Ce que je veux, c'est la paix." (What I want...)
• Ce dont (de): "Ce dont j'ai besoin, c'est du temps." (What I need...)
• Ce à quoi (à): "Ce à quoi je pense..." (What I'm thinking about...)

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Part 8: Quick Decision Flowchart

1. Is the pronoun the subject of the clause? → QUI
2. Is it the direct object? → QUE
3. Does it replace something with DE? → DONT
4. Does it indicate place or time? → OÙ
5. Is it after a preposition + thing? → LEQUEL (and variants)
6. Is it after a preposition + person? → QUI
7. No antecedent ("what")? → CE QUI / CE QUE / CE DONT

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Conclusion

Relative clauses are non-negotiable for B2+. The examiner expects you to use them naturally in speaking and writing. If you're still writing "La femme. Elle parle français." as two sentences, your score will suffer. Practice combining sentences daily, and pay special attention to DONT — it's the one most learners get wrong.