Resolving Ambiguity
The relative pronoun que (that/which/who) is incredibly useful, but it has a flaw: it does not change for gender or number. When a sentence has a complex noun phrase like "the stem of the orchid, which...", using que can make it unclear whether "which" refers to the stem or the orchid.
To resolve this ambiguity, Portuguese uses a set of relative pronouns that explicitly show gender and number.
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| o qual (singular) | a qual (singular) |
| os quais (plural) | as quais (plural) |
Singular Clarifications: O qual & A qual
By matching the gender and number of the specific noun you are referring back to, you eliminate any confusion.
In the following example, a qual (feminine singular) points clearly back to a botânica rather than o país (masculine singular).
| The biologist is studying the botany of the country, which is fascinating. | O biólogo está a estudar a botânica do país, a qual é fascinante. |
Similarly, if we want to say that the orchid (and not the stem) is blooming, we use the feminine singular a qual.
| The botanist observes the stem of the orchid, which is blooming. | O botânico observa o caule da orquídea, a qual está a florescer. |
If we want to point back to a masculine singular noun, like o habitat, we use o qual.
| We need to document the habitat of the endemic species, which is disappearing. | Precisamos de documentar o habitat da espécie endémica, o qual está a desaparecer. |
Plural Clarifications: Os quais & As quais
The plural forms os quais and as quais work exactly the same way. They help you skip over the noun right next to the comma and point directly back to the intended plural noun earlier in the sentence.
Here, as quais tells us the roots (as raízes) are long, not the fern (o feto).
| The botanists document the roots of the fern, which are long. | Os botânicos documentam as raízes do feto, as quais são compridas. |
And here, os quais clarifies that it is the stems (os caules) blooming in spring, rather than the plants (as plantas) in general.
| In botany, we study the stems of the plants, which bloom in spring. | Na botânica, nós estudamos os caules das plantas, os quais florescem na primavera. |
More Examples in the Wild
Whenever you have two nouns of different genders or numbers linked together, o qual and its variations are your best tools for absolute precision.
| I took photographs of the petals of the orchid, which are white. | Tirei fotografias às pétalas da orquídea, as quais são brancas. |
| Nobody documented the stems of that tree, which are ruined, except us. | Ninguém documentou os caules daquela árvore, os quais estão estragados, exceto nós. |