B1 Portuguese GrammarRelative Clauses
Add information to nouns using Portuguese relative pronouns que, quem, o qual, onde, and cujo. Learn to build sophisticated sentences that describe people, things, and places. Master both defining and non-defining relative clauses.
1The Universal Relative 'Que'
Que is the most common relative pronoun in Portuguese, equivalent to "that," "which," or "who." It can refer to people or things and is used for both subjects and direct objects. Unlike English, que is never omitted in Portuguese. It doesn't change form based on gender or number.
Uses of Que
| Function | English | Portuguese Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject (person) | who/that | O homem que chegou... |
| Subject (thing) | which/that | O livro que está... |
| Object (person) | whom/that | A mulher que vi... |
| Object (thing) | which/that | O filme que assisti... |
Examples
O livro que comprei é muito bom.
The book that I bought is very good.
que as direct object (thing)
A pessoa que telefonou não deixou recado.
The person who called didn't leave a message.
que as subject (person)
Este é o restaurante que te falei.
This is the restaurant that I told you about.
que with indirect reference
As ideias que ele tem são interessantes.
The ideas that he has are interesting.
que as direct object (plural thing)
2Quem for People
Quem is used exclusively for people and is typically preceded by a preposition. It means "who" or "whom." Unlike que, quem is used after prepositions: a pessoa com quem falei (the person with whom I spoke). It can also start a sentence meaning "whoever."
Quem with Prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| com quem | with whom | a pessoa com quem trabalho |
| para quem | for whom | o amigo para quem liguei |
| de quem | of/about whom | a mulher de quem falamos |
| a quem | to whom | o professor a quem perguntei |
Examples
A pessoa com quem falei era muito simpática.
The person with whom I spoke was very nice.
com quem = with whom
O amigo para quem comprei o presente adorou.
The friend for whom I bought the gift loved it.
para quem = for whom
Quem estuda aprende.
Whoever studies learns.
Quem = whoever (subject of sentence)
Não sei de quem é este livro.
I don't know whose book this is.
de quem = whose (in questions)
3O Qual / A Qual (Which/Who - Formal)
O qual, a qual, os quais, as quais are formal relative pronouns that agree in gender and number with their antecedent. They're used after compound prepositions (durante o qual, segundo a qual) and to avoid ambiguity when there are multiple possible antecedents.
Forms of O Qual
| Gender/Number | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | o qual | which/who |
| Feminine singular | a qual | which/who |
| Masculine plural | os quais | which/who |
| Feminine plural | as quais | which/who |
Examples
O projeto durante o qual trabalhei foi cancelado.
The project during which I worked was cancelled.
durante o qual = during which
A empresa para a qual trabalho é internacional.
The company for which I work is international.
para a qual (feminine agreement)
Os documentos sem os quais não posso viajar.
The documents without which I cannot travel.
sem os quais = without which (plural)
A razão pela qual ele saiu é desconhecida.
The reason for which he left is unknown.
por + a qual = pela qual
4Onde and Cujo
Onde means "where" and replaces em que for places. Cujo (cuja, cujos, cujas) means "whose" and agrees with the possessed noun, not the possessor. Cujo is formal and somewhat literary; in spoken Portuguese, people often use que...dele/dela instead.
Forms of Cujo
| Possessed noun | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | cujo | o homem cujo carro... |
| Feminine singular | cuja | a mulher cuja casa... |
| Masculine plural | cujos | o professor cujos alunos... |
| Feminine plural | cujas | a cidade cujas praias... |
Examples
A cidade onde nasci é pequena.
The city where I was born is small.
onde = where (place)
O homem cujo carro foi roubado está ali.
The man whose car was stolen is over there.
cujo = whose (agrees with carro)
A escola onde estudei já não existe.
The school where I studied no longer exists.
onde replacing em que
A autora cujas obras admiro vem ao Brasil.
The author whose works I admire is coming to Brazil.
cujas (feminine plural, agrees with obras)