Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

I have to understand this TODAY. I'm SICK of getting it wrong!

Qui, que and dont. I just don't get it. I think I understand it but I always forget because it is explained in so many different and complicated ways. When it has been explained to me and I do practise exercises, I always get them all wrong. Can someone explain it to me please. I'm in dire straits. :frown:

Reply 1

*soph*

'Dont' means 'of which' as opposed to 'which'. The difference between 'qui' and 'que' I'm not so sure about. Usually I would use 'qui' if you're talking about 'who' and 'que' for 'that', but you're best off listening to someone who knows what they're talking about for those two.

Reply 2

eleri

Qui refers to a subject, que refers to an object. So:

1. I saw a man who was tall:
J'ai vu un homme qui était grand.

2. The man who/that I saw:
L'homme que j'ai vu.

In (1), the man is the subject of the clause - the description of what I saw would be paraphrased to "the man was tall", where the man is obviously the subject of the sentence, and it's him who's being described.

In (2), the sentence could be rephrased as "I saw the man", where the man is the object. (Don't forget that the verb has to agree when there is a preceding direct object as well - l'homme que j'ai vu, but la femme que j'ai vue.)

Hope that helps.

Reply 3

generalebriety

Indeed, 'qui' can mean both 'who' and 'which', as can 'que'. Try splitting them up into two sentences. Stealing an example or two:

"J'ai vu un homme qui était grand." = "J'ai vu un homme. Il était grand."
"C'est moi qui suis de ******." = "C'est moi. Je suis de ******." [Edit: what, it's starred out 'r e t a r d'?! :redface:

]
"Il a vu la femme qui l'a fait." = "Il a vu la femme. Elle l'a fait."

"C'est l'homme que j'ai vu." = "C'est l'homme. Je l'ai vu." (Had to add the "c'est" to make it a full sentence, just for clarity)
"Où est le bic que j'ai mis sur la table?" = "Où est le bic? Je l'ai mis sur la table."
"C'est une mauvaise chose qu'elle va faire." = "C'est une mauvaise chose. Elle va le faire." (Buh, awful French, and also object change... sorry, was out of examples really...)

Rather than just making my post count slightly higher and giving you a few more examples I do have something legitimate to add :smile:

: always say "de (à, pour, avec...) qui" when you're referring to people.

"C'est l'homme de qui j'ai pris le bic."
"J'ai vu le garçon avec qui tu jouais."
"C'est quelqu'un sans qui je ne peux pas vivre."

(I say 'referring to people' because 'dont' is simply the equivalent of 'de qui', just for objects. :smile:

)