Relative pronouns are the same as interrogative pronouns in some cases. The most common relative pronouns used in Portuguese are “que” (that) and “quem” (who/whom). Other relative pronouns that you may encounter less frequently are “cujo” (whose) and “o qual” (who/whom/which). The two relative pronouns, “cujo” and “o qual,” have four forms based on gender and number.
Most Common Relative Pronouns
Here is a list of the most common relative pronouns in Portuguese:
| Relative pronoun | English meaning | Examples |
| que | that/which | O chá que você gosta está aqui. The tea that you like is here. |
| quem | who/whom | É a pessoa com quem falei. This is the person with whom I talked. |
| cujo (sing. masc.) cuja (sing. fem.) cujos (pl. masc.) cujas (pl. fem.) | whose | Ele é o homem cujos dois filhos são médicos. This is the man whose two sons are doctors. |
| o qual (sing. masc.) a qual (sing. fem.) os quais (pl. masc.) as quais (pl. fem.) | who/whom/which | Eles discutem um tópico importante, o qual afeta você. They are discussing an important topic, one which affects you. |
The relative pronoun “que,” meaning “that” or “which,” can refer to a thing, a place, or a person.
Since both “que” and “quem” can refer to a person, it is important to understand when to use each. As a general rule, if the person(s) you are referring to is(are) separated from the relative pronoun by a preposition or comma, “quem” must be used. Otherwise, if there is no such separation, and the relative pronoun is to be used right after the person it describes, “que” must be used.
| “que” and “quem” examples | Explanation |
| É o garoto de quem eu estava falando. This is the guy whom I was talking about. | Referring to a person, and the preposition “de” is used before the relative pronoun, use “quem.” |
| São os jogadores com quem joguei. They are the players with whom I used to play. | Referring to multiple persons, and the preposition “com” is used before the relative pronoun, use “quem.” |
| Este é o restaurante que abriu na semana passada. This is the restaurant that opened last week. | Referring to a place, we always use “que.” “Quem” can only refer to a person. Thus, use “que.” |
| É o professor que me ensinou. This is the teacher who taught me. | Referring to a person, and the relative pronoun is used right after without a preposition or comma, use “que.” |
One case that can use either “que” or “quem” is after the verb “ser,” e.g., “Ela é a pessoa que/quem me disse isso” (She is the one who told me this).
“Cujo”
The relative pronoun “cujo” (and its variants in gender and number) has a similar use to the English “whose,” e.g., “Este é o homem cujo filho é médico” (This is the man whose son is a doctor).
Instead of “cujo,” one can use “de quem,” “de que,” or “do qual,” e.g., “Este é o homem de quem filho é médico” (This is the man whose son is a doctor).
“O Que” & “O Qual”
The relative pronoun “o qual” (and its gender and number variants) is not commonly heard in spoken Portuguese but is used more frequently in written Portuguese.
It is used when the noun described by the relative pronoun is separated by a preposition or a comma, e.g., “Vou ler o livro, o qual estava na garagem” (I am going to read the book, the one that was in the garage), “Vou limpar a cadeira, atrás da qual o gato estava escondido” (I will clean the chair behind which the cat was hiding).
The relative pronouns “o que,” “a que,” “os que,” and “as que” can also be used in a similar way to “o qual,” “a qual,” “os quais,” and “as quais,” respectively.
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