Log inSign up

Quien roba la patente original es el competidor.

Quien roba la patente original es el competidor.
The one who steals the original patent is the competitor.
From Lesson 418:Emphasizing the subject (el que, quien)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Quien roba la patente original es el competidor.

Could I use el que instead of quien at the beginning of this sentence?
Yes! In these types of emphasizing sentences, quien and el que are completely interchangeable when referring to a singular person. Saying El que roba la patente original es el competidor means exactly the same thing, though quien can sound slightly more formal.
Why use this structure instead of just saying El competidor roba la patente original?
This structure is called a pseudo-cleft sentence, and its purpose is to create strong emphasis. By putting the action (Quien roba...) first, you build suspense to highlight exactly who did the stealing at the end of the sentence. It mirrors the difference in English between 'The competitor steals the patent' and 'The one who steals the patent is the competitor.'
Why isn't there an accent mark on Quien?
Even though it means 'the one who', it isn't being used as a question word or an exclamation here. It acts as a relative pronoun introducing the first part of the sentence, so it doesn't take the written accent that quién gets in direct or indirect questions.
How would this sentence change if multiple competitors stole the patent?
You would need to make the relative pronoun, the verbs, and the emphasized subject plural. It would become: Quienes roban la patente original son los competidores. If you were using el que instead of quien, it would become Los que roban...
Does patente always mean a legal 'patent' for an invention?
In this business context, yes. However, as a B2 learner, it's worth noting that in several Latin American countries (such as Argentina and Chile), la patente is also the everyday term for a car's license plate.

Learn Quien roba la patente original es el competidor and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →