Relative pronouns are used in Chinese to connect the main clause with the subordinate clause, referring to the person or thing mentioned earlier. Common relative pronouns correspond to interrogatives for people, things, places, time, etc. Through these words, explanations or restricting information can be introduced, making sentences clearer.

'Who' refers to people and can introduce explanations or restrictions in the main clause. As a relative pronoun, it is often seen in the 'the ... of people' structure, followed by a subordinate clause. This construction emphasizes the people who meet the criteria.

'What' is used to refer to things and can introduce specific details. As a relative pronoun, it often appears in the '... thing' structure. The sentence uses 'what' to specify what is being discussed.

'Which' refers to selecting one from multiple options, commonly used in the 'which one' structure. As a relative pronoun, it is common in expressions like 'the ... of people' or 'the ... book.' The sentence expresses choice or restriction through 'which'.

'That' refers to something farther away or previously mentioned; 'This' refers to something nearer or current. In attributive clauses, 'that ...' and 'this ...' can be used to limit nouns. The choice of 'that' or 'this' depends on the deictic relation at the moment of speaking.

'De' is used in relative pronouns to connect noun and modifier, forming the '... 的 + n' structure. This structure can place the clause or phrase before the noun, serving to limit. In attributive clauses, 'de' is the core marker.

Chinese often uses '... 的 人' to noun-ify descriptive content, referring to people who meet the criteria. This structure allows a full modifier or even a clause before '的人', resulting in a clearer and more succinct sentence.

'... 的 东西' is used in Chinese to refer to things that meet the conditions, similar to English 'what' clauses. You can place descriptive words or actions before '的东西' as a restriction. In such expressions, the focus is on the particular 'thing'.

'... 的 地方' is used to refer to a location that meets certain conditions, commonly used in place-describing sentences. Modifiers can be clauses or phrases describing the 'place', forming a clear restriction. The sentence can thus point to a specific location.

'... 的 时候' is used to refer to a specific time point or period, introducing a temporal adverbial. The subject or event is often placed before, and the main action follows. This structure is frequent and semantically clear.