Les Pronoms Relatifs — qui, que, où, dont | French Grammar
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qui, que, où, dont — joining sentences like a native. This guide explains Les Pronoms Relatifs in French with clear rules, real examples and practice for every CEFR level. For instance: « l’ami qui habite à Paris » — the friend who lives in Paris.
Les Pronoms Relatifs
qui, que, où, dont — joining sentences like a native
1. Les quatre essentiels
| Pronom | Remplace | Exemple | Traduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| qui | le SUJET | l’ami qui habite à Paris | the friend who lives in Paris |
| que | l’OBJET | le film que j’ai vu | the film (that) I saw |
| où | lieu ou temps | la ville où je suis né | the city where I was born |
| dont | de + qqch/qqn | le livre dont je parle | the book I’m talking about |
2. qui ou que ? Le test
| Regarde ce qui suit | Choisis | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| un VERBE | qui | la femme qui chante |
| un SUJET (je, tu, Paul…) | que | la chanson que Paul chante |
3. dont — pour les verbes avec DE
| Verbe + de | Exemple |
|---|---|
| parler de | le projet dont je parle |
| avoir besoin de | l’outil dont j’ai besoin |
| être fier de | le fils dont elle est fière |
💡 Astuce anglophone
English drops the pronoun (“the film I saw”) — French NEVER does : le film que j’ai vu.
que becomes qu’ before a vowel — but qui never changes : l’ami qui arrive.
4. Résumé rapide
| Question | Réponse |
|---|---|
| Followed by a verb ? | qui |
| Followed by a subject ? | que |
| A place or a time ? | où |
| The verb uses de ? | dont |
📚 Free French lessons at learnfrench.co
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
l’ami ___ habite à Lyon (followed by a verb)
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qui
le gâteau ___ tu as fait (followed by a subject)
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que
l’année ___ je suis né (time)
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où
le voyage ___ je rêve (rêver de) (de-verb)
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dont
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🎯 More practice — translation — put it into French
Translate into French: « He’s the teacher who taught me French. » (translation)
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C’est le professeur qui m’a appris le français.
Translate into French: « The book I’m reading is fascinating. » (translation)
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Le livre que je lis est passionnant.
Translate into French: « There’s the house where I grew up. » (translation)
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Voilà la maison où j’ai grandi.
Go further: get the full picture in our guide 7 common French mistakes English speakers make.
Les Pronoms Relatifs in French — FAQ
How do you use Les Pronoms Relatifs in French?
qui, que, où, dont — joining sentences like a native. Follow the rules and patterns in the lesson above, and practise with real sentences like « l’ami qui habite à Paris » (the friend who lives in Paris).
Can you give an example of Les Pronoms Relatifs in French?
Yes — « l’ami qui habite à Paris » means « the friend who lives in Paris », and « le film que j’ai vu » means « the film (that) I saw ». The lesson above has many more examples with explanations.
What CEFR level is Les Pronoms Relatifs?
This topic is introduced around B1 and refined at higher levels — pick your level from the links at the top of the page. You can also drill it with the interactive exercises and games below.
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🎬 The 20-second version
4 quick questions on « Les Pronoms Relatifs » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →