In formal writing, such as historical texts, you will frequently use el cual and its variations to mean "which" or "who".
While you have seen these pronouns used after prepositions, they can also be used without prepositions in explanatory relative clauses. These are phrases set off by commas that add extra, non-essential information about a previously mentioned noun. The pronoun must agree in gender and number with the noun it refers back to.
| Number | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | el cual | la cual |
| Plural | los cuales | las cuales |
Masculine agreement
Use el cual or los cuales to add extra information about a masculine noun.
| The empress signed the treaty, which was rejected by the king. | La emperatriz firmó el tratado, el cual fue rechazado por el rey. |
| They lost many territories, which must be empty today. | Ellos perdieron muchos territorios, los cuales deben de estar vacíos hoy. |
Feminine agreement
Use la cual or las cuales when the noun you are describing is feminine.
| We have a new constitution, which guarantees peace. | Tenemos una nueva constitución, la cual garantiza la paz. |
| The revolution, which broke out yesterday, destroyed the old empire. | La revolución, la cual estalló ayer, destruyó el antiguo imperio. |
| The princess rejected the crown, which was of pure gold. | La princesa rechazó la corona, la cual era de oro puro. |
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