i don't understand whats the differnce when using relative pronouns- qui, que, dont, ce qui, ce que, ce dont
Give me a few minutes to find it somewhere on my computer. If I can't I'll retype it for you.
Sra (aka Mme)
I found it but often "cut and paste" does not work here. If it doesn't, I will retype:
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. To answer your questions first:
Lise a envie de voir sa mère. (direct object) = Lise a envie de la voir.
Elle pense souvent à sa mère. = (with disjunctive pronoun) Elle pense souvent à elle.
More about relative pronouns. (summary)
qui = who, which, that, whom = subject (for persons and things) OR object of preposition, for persons
que (qu') = whom, which, that = object of verb (for persons and things)
lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles = which = objct of prepositions, for things
dont = of whom, of which, whose = for persons and things
où = where, in which, on which = expressions of location
ce qui = what/that which = subject
ce que (ce qu') = what/ that which = object of verb
ce don't = what/that of which = with expressions taking "de"
You may not have met all of them yet so I didn't give you anything in depth but you'll have a "preview" of what is to come!
Mme
When using relative pronouns in French, it's important to understand their specific functions and how they relate to the noun they refer to in the sentence. Here's a breakdown of the differences between the relative pronouns "qui," "que," "dont," "ce qui," "ce que," and "ce dont":
1. Qui: This relative pronoun is used to refer to a person or an animal that is the subject of the verb in the relative clause. It is often translated as "who" or "whom" in English. To find the antecedent (the noun that the pronoun refers to), ask the question "Qui est-ce qui/que...?" (Who/Whom is it that...?). For example:
- La fille qui parle est ma sœur. (The girl who is speaking is my sister.)
2. Que: This relative pronoun is used to refer to a person or an animal that is the direct object of the verb in the relative clause. It is often translated as "whom" or "that" in English. To find the antecedent, ask the question "Qui est-ce que/qui...?" (Whom/Who is it that...?). For example:
- J'ai vu le chien que tu as adopté. (I saw the dog that you adopted.)
3. Dont: This relative pronoun is used to refer to both people and things and indicates possession, relationship, or origin. It is often translated as "whose," "of which," or "from which" in English. To find the antecedent, ask the question "De qui/quoi est-ce que...?" (Whose/What is it that...?). For example:
- Voici l'artiste dont j'admire le travail. (Here is the artist whose work I admire.)
4. Ce qui: This relative pronoun is used to refer to something that is the subject of the verb in the relative clause. It is often translated as "what" or "that" in English. To find the antecedent, ask the question "Qu'est-ce qui...?" (What is it that...?). For example:
- Ce qui m'étonne, c'est son talent. (What surprises me is his talent.)
5. Ce que: This relative pronoun is used to refer to something that is the direct object of the verb in the relative clause. It is often translated as "what" or "that" in English. To find the antecedent, ask the question "Qu'est-ce que...?" (What is it that...?). For example:
- Je ne sais pas ce que tu veux dire. (I don't know what you mean.)
6. Ce dont: This relative pronoun is used to refer to something that is the object of the preposition in the relative clause. It is often translated as "what" or "that" in English. To find the antecedent, ask the question "De quoi est-ce que...?" (What is it that...?). For example:
- Il a peur de ce dont il ne comprend pas. (He is afraid of what he doesn't understand.)
Remember that the choice of the relative pronoun depends on the role of the noun it refers to in the clause. By identifying the function and asking the right questions, you can determine which relative pronoun to use in a sentence.