Breakdown of Los delegados deben ratificar el tratado, el cual es difícil.
ser
to be
difícil
difficult
deber
must / should
el tratado
the treaty
el cual
which / who (masculine singular)
ratificar
to ratify
el delegado
the delegate
Questions & Answers about Los delegados deben ratificar el tratado, el cual es difícil.
Why use el cual instead of just que for "which"?
You could absolutely use que here! However, el cual is a more formal relative pronoun, often used in writing, legal texts, or formal speech (which fits a sentence about delegates and treaties). Unlike que, it also changes to match the gender and number of the noun it refers to.
How do I know whether to use el cual, la cual, los cuales, or las cuales?
Can I use el cual without the comma if I want to specify exactly which treaty I mean?
No. When used without a preposition, el cual and its variations can only be used after a comma to add extra, non-essential information. If you want to define exactly which treaty you are talking about (e.g., "The treaty that we signed is difficult"), you must use que without a comma: El tratado que firmamos...
Could I say tienen que ratificar instead of deben ratificar?
Yes, both mean they "must" or "have to" ratify it. tienen que is the most common way to express obligation in everyday Spanish. deben sounds a bit more formal and often implies a moral duty or professional obligation, making it a perfect fit for this political context.
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