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Relative pronouns

The most common relative pronouns are che, cui, and il quale. They all mean “who,” “whom,” “which,” or “that,” and are used in different ways according to context.

NOTE: Il quale has four forms (il quale, la quale, i quali, le quali). Since il quale and the three other forms agree in gender and number with the antecedent to which they refer, they are used in place of che when needing to avoid ambiguity.

Ex. Il fratello di Maria, il quale è artista, se ne va con Luigi. — Maria’s brother, who is an artist, is leaving with Luigi.

If we were to use che here — Il fratello di Maria, che è artista… — we cannot tell if the artist is Maria or her brother. “Il quale” is more specific, and tells us that is the brother who is the artist.

The relative pronoun “what” meaning “that which” is expressed by quel che,  quello che or ciò che.

Avete quel che cerco? — Do you have what I am looking for? (Do you have that which I am looking for?)

The relative pronoun chi means “he who,” “him who,” “the one who,” “whoever,” or “anyone who.” Chi is often used in proverbs, as in “Chi cerca trova.” — Seek and you shall find. (Literally, “He who seeks finds.”)

The relative pronoun “whose” is usually expressed by il cui (la cui, i cui, le cui).

È il signore la cui figlia ama Franco. — He is the gentleman whose daughter loves Franco.

VOCABULARY