French is such a beautiful language, considered to be very romantic, which explains why many people are learning it every year all over the world.
Like any other language, it has some specific aspects that are more difficult than others.
For French language, most students usually complain about grammar, and how difficult it is compared to English.
Before we start talking about French grammar, what is grammar exactly?
According to Cambridge Dictionary, Grammar is “the study or use of the rules about how words change their form and combine with other words to express meaning”.
In French language, there are 6 types of pronouns:
- Pronoms Démonstratifs: (demonstrative pronouns) This/that and these/those
- Pronoms Indéfinis: Indefinite pronouns
- Pronoms Interrogatifs: Interrogative pronouns
- Pronoms Personnels: (personal pronouns): a word such as “I,” “you,” or “they,” that refers to a person in speech or in writing
- Pronoms Possessifs: possessive pronouns
- Pronoms Relatifs: relative pronouns
In grammar, a relative pronoun is a pronoun such as “which,” “who,” or “that,” that is used to begin a relative clause.
So, relative pronouns are used to avoid using the same word twice when we’re connecting two sentences.
In French, there are two kinds of relative pronouns:
- Invariable pronouns
- variable pronouns
First, let’s start by learning invariable relative pronouns:
Invariable pronouns:
There are five invariable pronouns:
- Qui : who
- Que :
- Dont :
- Où : where
- Quoi :
Qui :
“Qui” is used when we are referring to a person.
Example
- La femme vend des bijoux. La femme est belle.
L a femme qui vend des bijoux est belle
(The woman sells jewelry. The woman is pretty.
The woman who sells jewelry is pretty.)
| Français | English |
| femme | woman |
| vend | sells |
| bijoux | jewelery |
| belle | pretty |
| qui | who |
Que
This pronoun is used when we are referring to an object.
Example:
(I choose this dress. The dress is red: The dress that I choose is red. )
Now if I want to express this in French I would say:
- Je choisis cette robe. Cette robe est rouge.
La robe que je choisis est rouge.
| Français | English |
| Je | I |
| choisis | choose |
| Cette (or ce/cet) | this |
| est | is |
| rouge | red |
| La (le/les) | The |
| Que | That |
Dont :
“Dont” is used to relate a relative to a prior noun and as a substitute for a complement preceded by ”de”
Example:
- L’appartement est spacieux. Je t’ai parlé de l’appartement.
L’appartement dont je t’ai parlé est spacieux.
(The apartment is spacious. I told you about the apartment.
The apartment I told you about is spacious. )
| Français | English |
| L’ | The |
| appartement | apartment |
| spacieux | spacious |
| Ai parlé | told |
| T’ | you |
| dont | that |
Où :
“Où” is used to give the location.
Example :
- Je travaille dans cet immeuble. Cet immeuble a été rénové il y a quelque mois.
L’immeuble où je travaille a été rénové il y a quelque mois.
(I work at this building. This building was renovated a couple of months ago.
The building where I work was renovated a couple of months ago.)
| Français | English |
| travaille | work |
| dans | in |
| cet | this |
| immeuble | building |
| A été rénové | Was renovated |
| mois | months |
| Il y a quelques mois | A couple of months ago |
| où | where |
Quoi :
“Quoi” is used after a preposition in a relative to a personal mode or infinitive, has for antecedent this, nothing or something
Example :
- Il a commencé à développer un projet. Il n’a jamais pensé à ce projet.
Il a commencé à développer un projet à quoi il n’a jamais pensé.
(He started to develop a project. He never thought of this project before.
He started to develop a project that he never thought of before.)
| Français | English |
| Il | He |
| started | A commencé |
| jamais | never |
| A pensé | thought |
Variable pronouns:
Unlike the previous type of relative pronouns, these pronouns are different for singular and plural nouns and change according to gender as well.
The choice of pronoun will be based on the antecedent, since the relative pronoun will be of the same gender and number as the antecedent.
Let’s see variations according to number :
- Singular relative pronouns:
| Masculin | Féminin |
| lequel | laquelle |
| Duquel | De laquelle |
| auquel | À laquelle |
Let’s see some examples:
- J’ai pensé à un projet. Le projet existe déjà : Le projet auquel j’ai pensé existe déjà.
(I thought of a project. The project already exists. : The project I thought of already exists).
- Je t’ai parlé d’une voiture. La voiture n’est pas encore disponible sur le marché local.
La voiture de laquelle je t’ai parlé n’est pas encore disponible sur le marché local.
(I told about a car. The car is not available yet on the local market.
The car that I told you about isn’t available yet on the local market.)
- Plural relative pronouns:
| Masculin | Féminin |
| lesquel | lesquelles |
| Desquel | Desquelles |
| auxquels | auxquelles |
Let’s see some examples:
- Nous avons participé à des compétions. Les compétions sont à l’échelle internationale.
Les compétitions auxquelles nous avons participé sont à l’échelle internationale.
(We participated at competitions. The competitions are of international level
The competitions at which we participated are of international level.)
- Je voulais assister à un spectacle. Le spectacle était complet.
Le spectacle auquel je voulais assister était complet.
(I wanted to attend a concert. The concert was all booked.
The concert that I wanted to attend was all booked.)
| Français | English |
| Ai parlé | told |
| Une voiture | A car |
| D’ | about |
| encore | yet |
| disponible | available |
| marché | market |
| échelle | Level |
| spectacle | concert |
| voulais | wanted |
| assister | attend |
| complet | All booked |
| auxquelles | At which |
To summarize what we learned today, relative pronouns are used to connect sentences and avoid repeating the same words. Choosing an adequate one depends on the meaning of the sentence, the usage of the word and its gender.
So the next time you’re telling a story, whether it’s over a conversation or in writing, make your sentences more light by using relative pronouns to show off your knowledge of French.
