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Grammar Summary

Spanish-3 Unidad 5 Etapa 2

Direct Object Pronouns (Review)

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Indirect Object Pronouns (Review)

For a review of this topic, go to Spanish-1 Unidad 4 Etapa 2.  Use your browser's back arrow to return to this page.

More on Relative Pronouns

A. You have already learned to use relative pronouns que and quien to provide additional information about people or things already mentioned in a sentence. You can also use the relative pronouns el que and el cual in the same way, but to show a stronger relationship or provide greater emphasis.

B. You will often use el que and el cual etc. after prepositions where you wish to show a stronger relationship or greater emphasis than que or quien would provide.  Remember that these pronouns agree in number and gender with the noun to which they refer.

un templo en el que hay jeroglíficos     a temple in which there are hieroglyphics

la guitarrista sin la cual no podemos tocar    The guitarist without whom we can't play

NOTE that in formal uses, such as writing, it is more common to use el cual instead of el que.

C. The relative pronoun cuyo means whose.  Remember to make it agree in gender and number with the noun that follows:

El pintor cuyos cuadros nos gustaron.    The painter whose paintings we liked.

Lo que

A. The relative phrase lo que means "what" or "that which."  You use it when there is no direct person, place or thing in the main clause to which you are referring.  it refers to a more generalized idea or concept.

No comprendo lo que dices.    I don't understand what you're saying.

Lo que me gusta es dormir tarde.    What I like is to sleep late.

B. When you use lo que after todo it means "all that, everything that."