Extra information between commas
A relative clause between commas adds information about someone or something already identified: take it out and you still know who is meant. You have seen el cual in this kind of clause in formal writing. In everyday Spanish the usual word is plain que, for people and for things.
| My sister, who lives in Madrid, is coming tomorrow. | Mi hermana, que vive en Madrid, viene mañana. |
| Carmen, who is never late, arrived at ten today. | Carmen, que nunca llega tarde, hoy ha llegado a las diez. |
| The meeting, which started at nine, lasted five hours. | La reunión, que empezó a las nueve, duró cinco horas. |
The commas change the meaning
Without commas, the clause tells you which ones; with commas, it adds a fact about all of them. In speech the commas are short pauses.
| without commas | with commas |
|---|---|
| Los alumnos que estudiaron aprobaron. | Los alumnos, que estudiaron mucho, aprobaron. |
| only the ones who studied passed | they all passed, and they had all studied |
| The students who studied passed the exam. | Los alumnos que estudiaron aprobaron el examen. |
| The students, who studied a lot, passed the exam. | Los alumnos, que estudiaron mucho, aprobaron el examen. |
Yo, que…, tú, que…
After yo, tú, nosotros, vosotros or usted, the clause goes between commas, and the verb after que takes the person of the pronoun: yo, que soy; tú, que sabes; vosotros, que conocéis; usted, que es.
| I, who am his mother, didn't know anything. | Yo, que soy su madre, no sabía nada. |
| You guys, who know Madrid, what do you recommend to us? | Vosotros, que conocéis Madrid, ¿qué nos recomendáis? |
| You, who are the director, have to decide. (formal) | Usted, que es el director, tiene que decidir. |
Que, quien or el cual?
After a comma, quien (for people) and el cual are correct too, but they sound more formal; in conversation que is the normal choice.
Common mistake
- Yo, que es su madre… → Yo, que soy su madre…: the verb agrees with yo.
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