Spanish Relative Pronouns Explained: When to Use Que, Quién, El Cual, and Lo Que
Relative pronouns are the words that connect clauses. They are the "that," "which," "who," and "what" that allow you to add information about a noun without starting a new sentence. In English, relative pronouns are relatively simple. In Spanish, they are more varied, more context-dependent, and more nuanced than most learners expect when they first encounter them.
The challenge is not understanding what relative pronouns do. Most learners grasp that fairly quickly. The challenge is knowing which Spanish relative pronoun to use in a given sentence, because Spanish has several options where English often has only one, and the choice between them is determined by factors like the formality of the context, whether the antecedent is a person or a thing, whether the clause is restrictive or non-restrictive, and whether a preposition is involved.
This guide covers the four major Spanish relative pronouns: que, quién/quiénes, el cual/la cual/los cuales/las cuales, and lo que. It explains what each one does, when to use it, and how it shows up in real workplace and everyday conversations.
What Relative Pronouns Do
Before getting into the specific forms, make sure the concept is clear. A relative pronoun introduces a relative clause, which is a clause that modifies a noun. The noun being modified is called the antecedent.
The report that I submitted is ready. (antecedent: the report; relative pronoun: that; relative clause: that I submitted)
The nurse who called you is available. (antecedent: the nurse; relative pronoun: who; relative clause: who called you)
The procedure, which takes two hours, is routine. (antecedent: the procedure; relative pronoun: which; relative clause: which takes two hours)
In each sentence, the relative pronoun connects the main clause to additional information about the antecedent noun. Spanish relative pronouns do exactly the same job, but with more grammatical variety in which pronoun is appropriate.
Que: The Most Important and Most Frequently Used
Que is the workhorse of Spanish relative pronouns. It is the most common, the most versatile, and the one that covers the majority of relative clause situations in everyday Spanish. It translates as "that," "which," or "who" depending on context and does not change form for gender or number.
When to use que:
Que is used in restrictive relative clauses (clauses that are essential to identifying the antecedent) with both people and things. It is the default choice when no preposition is involved and when the clause is defining or identifying.
The report that I submitted → el informe que entregué
The nurse who called → la enfermera que llamó
The machine that broke → la máquina que se descompuso
The employee who arrived late → el empleado que llegó tarde
The form that needs to be signed → la forma que necesita firmarse
Que with people:
Que can refer to people in restrictive clauses, which surprises English speakers who expect "who" to be required for people. In Spanish, que is perfectly acceptable for both people and things in everyday speech.
The doctor that called you → el médico que te llamó
The worker that finished first → el trabajador que terminó primero
The patient that was admitted → el paciente que fue admitido
The supervisor that approved it → el supervisor que lo aprobó
Que in real workplace sentences:
The report that I need is on the desk. → El informe que necesito está en el escritorio.
The machine that broke is being repaired. → La máquina que se descompuso está siendo reparada.
The employee that was hired is starting Monday. → El empleado que fue contratado empieza el lunes.
The medication that you need is available. → El medicamento que necesita está disponible.
The procedure that we use is standard. → El procedimiento que usamos es estándar.
The form that needs to be signed is here. → La forma que necesita firmarse está aquí.
The patient that called yesterday is here. → El paciente que llamó ayer está aquí.
The project that we finished was a success. → El proyecto que terminamos fue un éxito.
Que after ser:
Que is also used in identifying constructions with ser (to be) that have no direct English equivalent.
It is she who called. → Es ella la que llamó. / Fue ella quien llamó.
It is the machine that broke. → Es la máquina la que se descompuso.
It was the supervisor who approved it. → Fue el supervisor el que lo aprobó.
Quién / Quiénes: Who (For People After Prepositions and in Non-Restrictive Clauses)
Quién (singular) and quiénes (plural) are used exclusively for people. They are required in two specific situations where que is not the best choice.
Situation 1: After prepositions, referring to people
When a relative clause involves a preposition and the antecedent is a person, quién/quiénes is required (or strongly preferred) rather than que.
The supervisor with whom I spoke → el supervisor con quien hablé
The employee for whom this is intended → el empleado para quien es esto
The doctor from whom I received the referral → el médico de quien recibí la referencia
The colleague to whom I sent the email → el colega a quien envié el correo
In everyday informal speech, Spanish speakers sometimes restructure these sentences to avoid the preposition + relative pronoun combination, but in professional and written contexts, preposition + quién is the standard form.
Situation 2: In non-restrictive relative clauses about people
Non-restrictive clauses add extra information about a noun that is already fully identified. In written Spanish, they are set off by commas. In these clauses, quién/quiénes is used for people.
Dr. García, who has been here for ten years, is retiring. → La Dra. García, quien lleva diez años aquí, se jubila.
The new employees, who started Monday, need training. → Los nuevos empleados, quienes empezaron el lunes, necesitan capacitación.
My supervisor, who approved the change, is in a meeting. → Mi supervisora, quien aprobó el cambio, está en una reunión.
Quién in real workplace sentences:
The person with whom you need to speak is in HR. → La persona con quien necesita hablar está en recursos humanos.
The doctor who treated the patient is available. → El médico quien atendió al paciente está disponible.
The employee for whom this package arrived is on vacation. → El empleado para quien llegó este paquete está de vacaciones.
The supervisor with whom I met yesterday approved the plan. → El supervisor con quien me reuní ayer aprobó el plan.
The nurse who assisted, who has fifteen years of experience, handled it perfectly. → La enfermera quien asistió, quien tiene quince años de experiencia, lo manejó perfectamente.
El Cual / La Cual / Los Cuales / Las Cuales: The Formal and Precise Option
El cual and its forms (la cual, los cuales, las cuales) are the more formal, more precise relatives that appear primarily in written Spanish, in legal and administrative documents, in formal professional communication, and in situations where clarity requires a pronoun that agrees in gender and number with its antecedent.
When to use el cual:
El cual is used in three main situations.
Situation 1: After longer prepositions and prepositional phrases
After prepositions of more than one syllable or prepositional phrases, el cual is strongly preferred over que or quién.
Common prepositions and phrases that trigger el cual:
a través de (through / across)
antes de (before)
después de (after)
dentro de (within)
fuera de (outside of)
cerca de (near)
lejos de (far from)
en frente de (in front of)
detrás de (behind)
además de (in addition to)
a causa de (because of)
por medio de (by means of)
a pesar de (in spite of)
en vez de (instead of)
Examples:
The procedure through which the data was collected → el procedimiento a través del cual se recopiló la información
The department in front of which the meeting was held → el departamento en frente del cual se realizó la reunión
The policy because of which the changes were made → la política a causa de la cual se hicieron los cambios
The building next to which the clinic is located → el edificio cerca del cual está ubicada la clínica
Situation 2: In non-restrictive clauses for clarity or formality
When a non-restrictive clause appears some distance from its antecedent, el cual is used to avoid ambiguity because its gender and number agreement makes the antecedent clear.
The report, which was submitted last week, has been approved. → El informe, el cual fue entregado la semana pasada, ha sido aprobado.
The new policy, which affects all departments, was announced today. → La nueva política, la cual afecta a todos los departamentos, fue anunciada hoy.
The employees, who started this month, received their training. → Los empleados, los cuales empezaron este mes, recibieron su capacitación.
Situation 3: When gender agreement prevents ambiguity
When two nouns of different genders appear in the same sentence and it is unclear which one the relative pronoun refers to, el cual with its gender agreement disambiguates.
I spoke with the supervisor's assistant, who is very helpful. → This is ambiguous in English and with que in Spanish if both the supervisor and the assistant have been mentioned. el cual or la cual makes the antecedent clear by matching the gender of the intended noun.
El cual in real workplace sentences:
The contract through which the services were arranged has expired. → El contrato a través del cual se organizaron los servicios ha vencido.
The building in front of which the accident occurred has been inspected. → El edificio en frente del cual ocurrió el accidente ha sido inspeccionado.
The policy because of which we made the changes is now being reviewed. → La política a causa de la cual hicimos los cambios está siendo revisada.
The committee before which the case will be presented meets on Friday. → El comité ante el cual se presentará el caso se reúne el viernes.
Lo Que: What / That Which (Referring to Ideas and Concepts)
Lo que is the neuter relative pronoun. It does not refer to a specific noun but to an idea, a concept, a situation, a clause, or something that has not been specifically named. It translates as "what" (in the sense of "that which") or "the thing that."
When to use lo que:
Use lo que when the antecedent is not a specific noun but rather an idea, a situation, or the content of a previous statement.
What he said surprised me. → Lo que dijo me sorprendió.
What matters most is safety. → Lo que más importa es la seguridad.
I do not understand what you mean. → No entiendo lo que quieres decir.
Tell me what happened. → Dime lo que pasó.
What we need is more time. → Lo que necesitamos es más tiempo.
I will do what I can. → Haré lo que pueda.
Lo que vs. qué:
Both lo que and qué can translate as "what" in English, but they function differently.
¿Qué pasó? → What happened? (direct question — qué with accent)
No sé lo que pasó. → I do not know what happened. (embedded clause — lo que)
Dime qué pasó. → Tell me what happened. (indirect question — qué with accent)
Explícame lo que pasó. → Explain to me what happened. (relative clause — lo que)
Lo que in real workplace sentences:
What the supervisor said was important. → Lo que dijo el supervisor fue importante.
I understand what you need. → Entiendo lo que necesita.
Tell me what happened at the job site. → Dígame lo que pasó en la obra.
What concerns me is the safety protocol. → Lo que me preocupa es el protocolo de seguridad.
The patient told me what he was feeling. → El paciente me dijo lo que sentía.
What we discussed in the meeting stays confidential. → Lo que hablamos en la reunión queda confidencial.
I will do what is necessary. → Haré lo que sea necesario.
That is what I was trying to explain. → Eso es lo que trataba de explicar.
Lo cual:
Lo cual is related to lo que but refers back to an entire preceding clause or statement rather than introducing a new concept. It is used in non-restrictive clauses and translates as "which" referring to an idea.
She finished the project early, which surprised everyone. → Terminó el proyecto antes de tiempo, lo cual sorprendió a todos.
He missed the meeting, which caused problems. → Faltó a la reunión, lo cual causó problemas.
The machine was repaired, which was a relief. → La máquina fue reparada, lo cual fue un alivio.
A Decision Framework: Which Relative Pronoun to Use
When you need to choose between que, quién, el cual, and lo que, run through these questions:
Does the relative pronoun refer to an idea, concept, or unnamed thing rather than a specific noun? → Use lo que (or lo cual if referring back to a preceding clause).
Is a preposition involved?
Short preposition (a, de, en, con, por, para, sin) + person → use quién/quiénes
Long preposition or prepositional phrase → use el cual / la cual / los cuales / las cuales
No preposition involved → use que (or quién for people in non-restrictive clauses)
Is the clause restrictive (essential to identifying the antecedent) or non-restrictive (extra information, set off by commas)?
Restrictive → que for both people and things
Non-restrictive → quién/quiénes for people, el cual forms for things, or que in informal speech
Is formality or precision required?
Formal written Spanish, legal documents, official communication → el cual forms or quién
Everyday conversational Spanish → que handles most situations
Relative Pronouns in Workplace Contexts: A Summary
Here is what each relative pronoun looks like in real workplace sentences across the industries Momentum Spanish serves.
Healthcare:
The patient that was admitted yesterday is stable. → El paciente que fue admitido ayer está estable. (que — restrictive, thing)
The nurse who treated her has ten years of experience. → La enfermera quien la atendió tiene diez años de experiencia. (quién — non-restrictive, person)
The procedure through which the sample was collected was standard. → El procedimiento a través del cual se recolectó la muestra fue estándar. (el cual — after long preposition)
What the doctor recommended was rest and hydration. → Lo que el médico recomendó fue descanso e hidratación. (lo que — idea)
Construction:
The machine that broke is being repaired. → La máquina que se descompuso está siendo reparada. (que — restrictive)
The foreman with whom I spoke approved the change. → El capataz con quien hablé aprobó el cambio. (quién — after preposition, person)
The contract through which the materials were ordered has expired. → El contrato a través del cual se ordenaron los materiales ha vencido. (el cual — after long preposition)
What we need is more concrete. → Lo que necesitamos es más concreto. (lo que — idea)
Education:
The student that failed the test needs additional support. → El estudiante que reprobó el examen necesita apoyo adicional. (que — restrictive)
The teacher who called you is in room 204. → La maestra quien le llamó está en el cuarto 204. (quién — person)
The program through which the students receive support is funded. → El programa a través del cual los estudiantes reciben apoyo está financiado. (el cual — after long preposition)
What matters most is the student's wellbeing. → Lo que más importa es el bienestar del estudiante. (lo que — idea)
Management:
The policy that was changed affects everyone. → La política que fue cambiada afecta a todos. (que — restrictive)
The employee for whom this applies should be notified. → El empleado para quien aplica esto debe ser notificado. (quién — after preposition, person)
The department in front of which the announcement was made is aware. → El departamento en frente del cual se hizo el anuncio está al tanto. (el cual — after long prepositional phrase)
What the investigation revealed was unexpected. → Lo que reveló la investigación fue inesperado. (lo que — idea)
Common Mistakes With Relative Pronouns
Understanding where learners go wrong helps you avoid the same errors.
Using que after long prepositions. A través de que is incorrect. A través del cual is correct. After long prepositions and prepositional phrases, el cual is required.
Using que to refer to ideas. Eso es que quería decir is incorrect. Eso es lo que quería decir is correct. When referring to an idea or unnamed concept, use lo que.
Forgetting quién after prepositions for people. La persona con que hablé is possible but sounds informal. La persona con quien hablé is the standard form in professional and written contexts.
Confusing lo que and qué. No sé qué pasó (indirect question) and no sé lo que pasó (relative clause) are both correct but function differently. Qué introduces an indirect question; lo que introduces a relative clause.
Not making el cual agree with its antecedent. El cual must match the gender and number of the noun it refers to. La política a través del cual is incorrect because política is feminine. La política a través de la cual is correct.
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