Instrumental relative clauses (с которым, которой)

Accompaniment (с которым)

To say "with which" or "with whom", use the preposition с (with) followed by the relative pronoun который in the instrumental case. Just like other cases, который takes its gender and number from the noun it describes in the main clause.

Gender / NumberInstrumental Form
Masculine & Neuterс которым
Feminineс которой
Pluralс которыми

For masculine and neuter nouns, use с которым:

The material with which the sculptor works is very expensive.
Материал, с которым работает скульптор, очень дорогой.
The sculptor, with whom you were speaking, loves clay.
Скульптор, с которым ты разговаривал, любит глину.

For feminine nouns, use с которой:

The palette, with which the artist works, fell on the floor.
Палитра, с которой работает художник, упала на пол.
The girl, with whom we discussed the masterpiece, is a student.
Девушка, с которой мы обсуждали шедевр, — студентка.

For plural nouns, or multiple nouns grouped together, use с которыми:

We were discussing the marble and the canvas, with which the artist worked.
Мы обсуждали мрамор и холст, с которыми работал художник.

Tools and Instruments (которым)

In Russian, the instrumental case on its own (without с) indicates the tool or instrument used to perform an action. When "with which" means "by means of which" (such as working with a specific tool), drop the с:

This is the tool with which he is sculpting the sculpture.
Это инструмент, которым он лепит скульптуру.
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