When do i use qui and que

Note that lequel is a more complicated case and, as such, is addressed separately. Also, while qui and que are also relative pronouns , we are only discussing them here in their function as interrogative pronouns. Qui means "who" or "whom ," and it is used when asking about people. When we want to use qui as the subject of the question, meaning "who ," you can use either qui or qui est-ce qui. In this case, the word order cannot be inverted , and the verb is always third person singular.

To use qui as the object of the question, in the sense of "whom," qui can be followed by either est-ce que or inversion. Qui After a Preposition. Que means "what" and is used to refer to ideas or things. When que is the subject of the question, you must use qu 'est-ce followed by qui which is the part that refers to the subject and followed by a verb in the third person singular, with no inversion. When que is the object of the question, it can be followed by est-ce que or inversion.

That means we need qui. She bought a computer that works well. Who wrote this email? Who among you is French? Whose cellphone is this? For whom did you buy this gift? With whom are you going to the museum? Que represents the object in a subordinate clause. The object receives some type of action or is acted upon. I ate a croissant. It was delicious! The croissant that I ate was delicious! In this case, que is used because it refers to le croissant , the direct object receiving the action of being eaten.

I ate a croissant that was delicious! Just like before, we are using qui because it represents the subject of the subordinate clause. One of the things I really like is the theater. Il joue au tennis. I have a son who plays tennis. I know the doctor who does house calls.

Voici le livre. The colleague I had a drink with was fired the next day. Il est chef de cuisine. The friend whose house I ate at is a chef. La voiture que je conduis est rapide. The pizza that I at was delicious. La femme que je connais est sympathique. The lady who I know is nice. Things to notice: In all of these sentences the antecedent is the object of the verb. Hence, use que. Que can mean who, whom, that or which. The past participle must agree with the antecedent.

Is your head spinning sufficiently? My name is David Issokson.