Que vs Qui: How to use them [+14 Examples & Quiz]

In this French grammar lesson you will learn about que vs qui.

In this lesson you will learn about:

• how to use que
• how to use qui
• que vs qui
• how the relative pronouns are used in sentences
• how you can quiz yourself on que vs qui
• how to practice with flashcards on que vs qui
• how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French

Please refer to the French B1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about how this fits in the overall structure of French B1.

By the end of the lesson you will know all about que vs qui!

How to use Que

“Que” can mean the following things in French:

• que = that / which / who / whom

Les pommes que je mange.

The apples that I am eating.

Les magazines que Clara achète.

The magazines which/that Clara buys.

L’homme que j’appelle.

The man whom I am calling.

You will use que when the word that follows is/represents a person (je, tu, Clara) or a thing (voiture, pommes, magazines).

Here you can see how to replace people and things with que

How to use Qui

“Qui” can mean the following things in French:

• qui = that / which / who

J’ai acheté un parfum qui avait une odeur douce.

I bought a perfume which/that had a sweet smell.

Je connais une personne qui peut faire tes devoirs.

I know a person who can do your homework.

Ils regardent un film qui est très bien noté sur IMDB.

They are watching a film which/that has a great rating on IMDB.

J’ai un frère qui se réveille tard.

I have a brother who wakes up late.

It is important to note that you can use qui for both singular and plural which/who.

You will use qui when the following word is a verb (est, a, fait) or a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, lui, le, la, nous, vous, leur, les).

Here you can see how to replace people and things with qui

Que vs Qui: The Rule of Thumb

The easiest way to know, if you have to use que or qui is to look at the word that follows.

If the word that follows IS a verb or a reflexive pronoun, then you will use qui.

If the word that follows IS NOT a verb or a reflexive pronoun, then you will use que.

Example Sentences for Que vs Qui

The final section of this lesson on que vs qui is about seeing the relative pronouns in action.

This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on que vs qui through examples.

Here you can find the sentences of the previous chapters on que vs qui, neatly stored in one place.

Les pommes que je mange.

The apples that I am eating.

Les magazines que Clara achète.

The magazines which/that Clara buys.

L’homme que j’appelle.

The man whom I am calling.

J’ai acheté un parfum qui avait une odeur douce.

I bought a perfume which/that had a sweet smell.

Je connais une personne qui peut faire tes devoirs.

I know a person who can do your homework.

Ils regardent un film qui est très bien noté sur IMDB.

They are watching a film which/that has a great rating on IMDB.

J’ai un frère qui se réveille tard.

I have a brother who wakes up late.

Quiz Yourself on Que vs Qui

At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.

You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.

You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.

Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.

You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!

How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson

Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!

It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.

Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information.

There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.

1. Anki
2. The Flashcards in our Courses

Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.

After you have downloaded Anki, you can get our French B1 Anki Deck.

This Anki Deck contains 2,028 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French B1.

All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.

You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!

However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?

The Courses of Language Atlas

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So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.

Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.

I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.

However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.

The courses of Language Atlas have:

• 800+ Lessons with audio
• 800+ Quizzes
• 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
• A gamified way of learning a new language
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You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!

This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).

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