{"id":2679,"date":"2026-07-02T11:41:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sillabi.com\/?p=2679"},"modified":"2026-07-02T11:41:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:41:21","slug":"french-relative-pronouns-how-to-use-qui-que-dont-and-ou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sillabi.com\/en\/french-relative-pronouns-how-to-use-qui-que-dont-and-ou\/","title":{"rendered":"French relative pronouns: how to use qui, que, dont and o\u00f9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever read a French sentence and felt it sounded clunky, repetitive, or just\u2026 off? Often the problem isn’t your vocabulary or your verb tenses \u2014 it’s the structure: two ideas sitting separately when they could, and should, flow together as one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In French, just as in English, this is done with relative pronouns. They join two clauses into a single, smooth sentence by replacing a noun that has already been mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The effect is immediate: the sentence becomes more natural, more precise, closer to the French you actually hear and read. There are four simple relative pronouns<\/strong> in French \u2014 qui<\/em>, que<\/em>, dont<\/em>, o\u00f9<\/em> \u2014 and each one has a specific grammatical role. In this guide we’ll look at each of them in turn, with clear examples and the tools you need to pick the right one every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. What do relative pronouns do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Relative pronouns have one core job: joining two sentences together without repeating a noun that has already been mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider this example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– J’ai connu une fille. Cette fille s’appelle Fran\u00e7oise.<\/em><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It works, but it sounds repetitive. With a relative pronoun, the two sentences become one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– J’ai connu une fille qui <\/strong>s’appelle Fran\u00e7oise.<\/em><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pronoun qui<\/em> replaces cette fille<\/em>, linking the two ideas naturally and fluently. It works the same way as “that” or “who” in English: I met a girl who<\/strong> is called Fran\u00e7oise.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In French there are four simple relative pronouns, each with a specific grammatical function: qui<\/strong>, que<\/strong>, dont<\/strong>, o\u00f9<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. QUI \u2014 the subject of the relative clause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Qui<\/em> is the relative pronoun that acts as the subject<\/strong>: it refers to whoever or whatever is performing the action in the relative clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– C’est un cin\u00e9ma qui <\/strong>se trouve dans mon quartier.<\/em>
– C’est une actrice qui <\/strong>joue toujours le m\u00eame personnage.<\/em><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In each case, qui<\/em> is the subject of the verb that follows: qui se trouve<\/em>, qui joue<\/em>. In English, you would use “that” or “who” in the same position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca1 How to spot it:<\/strong> a conjugated verb comes immediately after qui<\/em>. Qui<\/em> is the one doing the action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. QUE \u2014 the direct object<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Que<\/em> functions as the direct object<\/strong>: it refers to the person or thing that the action is happening to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– C’est un cin\u00e9ma que <\/strong>tu trouveras tr\u00e8s confortable.<\/em>
– C’est une actrice que <\/strong>tout le monde aime beaucoup.<\/em><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca1 How to spot it:<\/strong> a subject (a noun or personal pronoun) comes immediately after que<\/em>. Que<\/em> receives the action \u2014 it doesn’t perform it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In English, both qui<\/em> and que<\/em> translate as “that” or “which” \u2014 and this is exactly where many learners get confused. In French, the distinction is not optional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch out:<\/strong> only que<\/em> can be elided before a vowel or silent h<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n