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French

Defining Clauses

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What Are Defining Clauses?

Defining clauses, or propositions relatives déterminatives in French, are a type of relative clause that gives specific and necessary information about a noun. This information "defines" or limits the noun, helping us identify exactly which one we mean.
  • They always follow a noun and modify it.
  • They answer questions like "Which one?" or "What kind?"
  • They cannot be removed without changing the meaning.
  • They use relative pronouns such as qui, que, dont, and où.
  • The relative pronoun agrees with the noun it replaces in function (subject, object, etc.).
Examples:
  • Le livre que j’ai lu est intéressant. (The book that* I read is interesting.)
  • La femme qui parle est ma prof. (The woman who* is speaking is my teacher.)
  • Voici le gars dont je t’ai parlé. (Here’s the guy whom* I told you about.)
  • Le village où je suis né est petit. (The village where* I was born is small.)

Relative Pronouns Used

The most common relative pronouns in defining clauses are qui, que, dont, and où. Each has a specific role and replaces a specific type of element in the relative clause.

Qui (Who, Which)

  • Replaces the subject of the relative clause.
  • Can refer to people or things.
Example:
  • Le garçon qui chante est mon frère. (The boy who* sings is my brother.)

Que (Whom, That, Which)

  • Replaces the direct object of the relative clause.
  • Can refer to people or things.
Example:
  • La chanson que j’écoute est nouvelle. (The song that* I’m listening to is new.)

Dont (Whose, Of Which, About Whom)

  • Replaces a prepositional phrase with de (e.g., de, du, des).
  • Can mean "whose," "of which," or "about whom."
Example:
  • Le livre dont je parle est ancien. (The book I’m talking about* is old.)
  • C’est l’artiste dont les peintures sont exposées. (He’s the artist whose* paintings are exhibited.)
Tip: dont is used instead of repeating de + [noun/pronoun].

Où (Where, When)

  • Refers to a place or time.
  • Means "where" or "when."
Example:
  • Voici la ville où j’habite. (Here is the city where* I live.)
  • Le jour où nous sommes partis était ensoleillé. (The day when* we left was sunny.)

Examples and Usage

Here are some full examples showing how defining clauses work within larger sentences.

Using Qui

  • L’homme qui parle est mon oncle. (The man who* is speaking is my uncle.)
  • Les enfants qui jouent sont bruyants. (The children who* are playing are noisy.)

Using Que

  • Le film que nous avons vu était drôle. (The movie that* we saw was funny.)
  • La lettre que j’ai reçue vient de France. (The letter that* I received comes from France.)

Using Dont

  • La femme dont je connais le mari est suisse. (The woman whose* husband I know is Swiss.)
  • Voici le projet dont nous avons parlé. (Here is the project we talked about*.)

Using Où

  • Le café où nous nous retrouvons est fermé. (The café where* we meet is closed.)
  • C’est le moment où tout a changé. (It’s the moment when* everything changed.)

Le film que nous avons vu était drôle.


The movie that we saw was funny.

**que** replaces the direct object in the clause (le film), so it means "that we saw."

Tips for Identification

To identify a defining clause:
  • Look for a relative pronoun (qui, que, dont, où).
  • Check if the clause is specifying or limiting the noun.
  • Remove the clause and see if the sentence loses important information.
  • Remember that defining clauses are not set off by commas.
Example:
  • Les chaussures que j’ai achetées sont rouges.* (Essential: which shoes?)
  • Les chaussures, que j’ai achetées, sont rouges.* (Non-defining: added info, but meaning is clear without it.)

What should you do to test if a relative clause is defining?


Remove the clause and see if the sentence loses important information.

If removing the clause changes the meaning or makes the noun unclear, the clause is defining.

Summary

Defining clauses in French are essential relative clauses that specify exactly which person or thing is meant. They use relative pronouns qui, que, dont, and où, and cannot be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence. These clauses help make your description precise and clear.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

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