Lesson 12: The Relative Pronoun (quī, quae, quod)
Full paradigm of the relative pronoun, rules for agreement and case, worked examples, the connecting relative, and contrast with the interrogative adjective.
Overview
A relative clause is a subordinate clause that describes or identifies a noun (its antecedent). It is introduced by a relative pronoun. The Latin relative pronoun quī, quae, quod (who, which, that) must agree with its antecedent in gender and number, but it takes its case from its function inside the relative clause. This double rule is the central challenge of the relative pronoun.
1. Full Paradigm of quī, quae, quod
| Case | M | F | N |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. sg. | quī | quae | quod |
| Gen. sg. | cuius | cuius | cuius |
| Dat. sg. | cui | cui | cui |
| Acc. sg. | quem | quam | quod |
| Abl. sg. | quō | quā | quō |
| Nom. pl. | quī | quae | quae |
| Gen. pl. | quōrum | quārum | quōrum |
| Dat./Abl. pl. | quibus | quibus | quibus |
| Acc. pl. | quōs | quās | quae |
Memory tips:
- Singular genitive cuius and dative cui are unique forms — memorize them individually.
- Ablative singular with cum: quōcum, quācum (or cum quō/quā — both are acceptable).
- Nominative and accusative neuter plural: quae (same as nom. f. pl. — context distinguishes).
2. The Two-Part Rule
For every relative pronoun, ask two separate questions:
- What is the antecedent? Its gender and number fix the gender and number of the relative pronoun.
- What does the relative pronoun DO in its own clause? Its function (subject, object, indirect object, etc.) fixes its case.
Example: Puella quam videō pulchra est.
- Antecedent: puella — feminine, singular → the pronoun is feminine singular.
- Function in clause: videō quam = I see whom → direct object → accusative.
- Therefore: quam (feminine, singular, accusative). ✓
3. Ten Worked Examples
1. Vir quī venit clārus est. The man who came is famous. quī = M. sg. Nom. (antecedent: vir M. sg.; function: subject of venit).
2. Puella quam amō pulchra est. The girl whom I love is beautiful. quam = F. sg. Acc. (antecedent: puella F. sg.; function: object of amō).
3. Liber quem legō Latīnus est. The book which I am reading is Latin. quem = M. sg. Acc. (antecedent: liber M. sg.; function: object of legō).
4. Urbs in quā habitō magna est. The city in which I live is large. quā = F. sg. Abl. (antecedent: urbs F. sg.; function: object of in + ablative).
5. Servī quōs vīdimus fugērunt. The slaves whom we saw fled. quōs = M. pl. Acc. (antecedent: servī M. pl.; function: object of vīdimus).
6. Puellae quibus pecūniam dedī laetae erant. The girls to whom I gave money were happy. quibus = F. pl. Dat. (antecedent: puellae F. pl.; function: indirect object of dedī).
7. Oppidum cuius mūrōs vīdimus antiquum est. The town whose walls we saw is ancient. cuius = N. sg. Gen. (antecedent: oppidum N. sg.; function: genitive of possession with mūrōs).
8. Aqua quā utuntur pūra est. The water with which they use (i.e. that they use) is pure. quā = F. sg. Abl. (antecedent: aqua F. sg.; ūtor takes ablative).
9. Mīlitēs quī fortiter pugnāvērunt praemia accēpērunt. The soldiers who fought bravely received rewards. quī = M. pl. Nom. (antecedent: mīlitēs M. pl.; function: subject of pugnāvērunt).
10. Hoc est dōnum quod tibi dō. This is the gift which I give to you. quod = N. sg. Acc. (antecedent: dōnum N. sg.; function: object of dō).
4. Relative Pronoun vs. Interrogative Adjective
The forms quī/quae/quod also function as interrogative adjectives ("which?") when used in questions without an antecedent in a relative clause:
| Usage | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Relative pronoun | liber quem legō | the book which I read |
| Interrogative adjective | quem librum legis? | which book are you reading? |
The interrogative pronoun (quis/quid = who?/what?) is a separate set: quis vēnit? (who came?), quid vidēs? (what do you see?). Quis/quid stands alone; quī/quae/quod as interrogative adjective modifies a noun.
5. The Connecting Relative
At the beginning of a sentence, a relative pronoun can function as a connective, equivalent to "and he/she/and this/but this":
Caesar hostēs vīcit. Quī postquam fugērunt… Caesar defeated the enemy. And they (= the enemy), after they had fled…
This is very common in Latin prose. The relative pronoun refers back to a noun in the preceding sentence and connects the ideas, replacing et is/et eī etc.
Key Vocabulary
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| quī / quae / quod | who, which, that (relative pronoun) |
| antecēdēns | antecedent (noun the pronoun refers back to) |
| cuius | whose (genitive of quī/quae/quod) |
| cui | to whom (dative) |
| quibus | to/from whom/which (dat./abl. pl.) |
| legō, legere, lēgī, lēctum | to read |
| habitō, habitāre | to live, dwell |
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captum | to take, capture |
| dō, dare, dedī, datum | to give |
| accipiō, accipere, accēpī, acceptum | to receive |
Practice
A. Give the gender, number, and case of each relative pronoun and explain:
- femina quam laudās
- librī quōrum titulōs scīmus
- oppidō in quō habitābant
B. Fill in the correct form of quī/quae/quod:
- Vir ______ hoc dīxit sapiens erat.
- Puellae ______ librum dedī laetae sunt.
- Templum ______ aedificāvērunt magnum est.
C. Translate into Latin using a relative clause:
- The soldier who fought bravely is famous.
- The book which I read is long.
- The women to whom we gave gifts were happy.