what is it?
A restrictive relative clause is a subordinate clause that identifies or defines the noun it follows — it tells you which person or thing is meant, narrowing the reference so that the sentence would be incomplete or ambiguous without it. In Spanish, this clause is introduced by the invariable relative pronoun que, which can refer to people or things, singular or plural, masculine or feminine. Unlike English «that» or «which», que can never be omitted in Spanish.
when to use it
To identify a person. Use que when you need to specify which person you are talking about: «el chico que vive aquí» (the boy who lives here) distinguishes that boy from all others.
To identify a thing. Use que when you need to specify which object or concept you mean: «el libro que leo» (the book that I am reading) singles out one particular book.
When que is the subject of the relative clause. The antecedent noun performs the action inside the relative clause: «el chico que vive aquí» — que (= el chico) is the subject of vive.
When que is the direct object of the relative clause. The antecedent noun receives the action inside the relative clause: «el libro que leo» — que (= el libro) is the direct object of leo.
formation
The structure is always: antecedent noun + que + verb phrase. The relative clause follows the antecedent immediately — nothing comes between them. The verb inside the clause is conjugated to agree with the antecedent, not with the subject of the main clause.
| antecedent | que | verb in relative clause | role of que |
|---|---|---|---|
| el chico | que | vive aquí | subject |
| la chica | que | vive aquí | subject |
| los chicos | que | viven aquí | subject |
| el libro | que | leo | direct object |
| la revista | que | leo | direct object |
| los libros | que | leo | direct object |
Notice that que itself never changes — it is the same word regardless of the gender or number of the antecedent. Only the verb inside the clause changes to match the antecedent.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Omitting que when it is a direct object. In English, the relative pronoun is often dropped: «the book I read». In Spanish this is never possible. *el libro leo is ungrammatical; the correct form is el libro que leo.
Making que agree with the antecedent. Some learners write *la que vive or *los ques viven as if que were an adjective. que is invariable: it is always que, regardless of gender or number.
Separating the antecedent from its relative clause. The que-clause must follow the antecedent directly. Placing other material between them, as in *el chico es simpático que vive aquí, breaks the link. The correct order is el chico que vive aquí es simpático.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
El campo ___ está cerca de mi casa es muy grande.
Fill in the blank with the correct word to complete the relative clause.