Take the fastest path to fluent French
Look at these sentences using qui:
Nous étudions un livre qui s'appelle "Moby Dick".We are studying a book which/that is called "Moby Dick".
Note that qui is used to express both singular and plural which/who, just like in English.
Knowing when to use qui and when to use que can be tricky for English speakers, as we often mistakenly think qui only means who, but it can be used to refer to inanimate objects as well as people.
How to use qui (instead of que) in French
There's an easy pattern to spot when deciding between qui and que to say who, that or which:
Use qui when the following word is a verb or reflexive /object pronoun (e.g. me, te, se, lui, le, la, nous, vous, leur, les, etc), and use que if the following word is a noun (thing or person).
In grammar jargon, we use qui when it's the subject of the verb, and que when it's the object of the verb.
If subjects, verbs, and objects confuse you watch the cartoon video explaining them. They're easier than they sound.
Contrast this with: Que = Whom/which/that (French Relative Pronouns)
Replacing objects and people with qui
Here are examples of sentences being changed so that people and objects are replaced with relative pronouns in both French and English:
Il a mangé une pizza. Cette pizza avait une pâte fine. -> Il a mangé une pizza qui avait une pâte fine.
He ate a pizza. This pizza had a thin crust. -> He ate a pizza that had a thin crust.
Je lis un livre. Ce livre s'appelle "Orgueil et Préjugés". -> Je lis un livre qui s'appelle "Orgueil et Préjugés".
I'm reading a book. A book is called "Pride and Prejudice" -> I'm reading a book which/that is called "Pride and Prejudice".
I'm reading a book. A book is called "Pride and Prejudice" -> I'm reading a book which/that is called "Pride and Prejudice".
Marie connaît Julien. Julien joue de la guitare. -> Marie connaît Julien qui joue de la guitare.
Marie knows Julien. Julien plays guitar. -> Marie knows Julien who plays guitar.
Marie knows Julien. Julien plays guitar. -> Marie knows Julien who plays guitar.
ATTENTION:
Qui never becomes qu' in front of a vowel or mute h: only the letter e can be omitted for pronunciation in this case!
See also the more advanced lessons:
À + qui, auquel, à laquelle = to whom, what, which (French Relative Pronouns)
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
(Jean-Jacques Rousseau)It's the imagination that extends for us the measure of what's possible, and feeds desires with the hope of satisfying them.
(Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Qui s'en va sifflant, soufflant,
Dans les grands sapins verts, oh !Long live the winter wind,
that goes whistling, blowing,
through the big green pine trees, oh!
Qui siffle dans les branches...And all above the wind,
Which whistles in the branches...
