French Grammar //how do I know when to use que, qui, dont, or qu' in a French sentence?

Question

or what other word is like that?please give detailed explanation

merci beaucoup & God bless

Answer 1

These words are relative pronouns which link a relative or dependant clause to the main thought.

The full list would include que, qui, lequel (and variations), dont, and où.

Que replaces the direct object (person or thing) in the dependent clause. Qui also replaces an indirect object (person only) after a preposition (except "de" in which case "dont" is used). Example: C'est le film que j'ai vu la nuit passée (That is the movie I saw last night)

Lequel or one of its variations replaces an object of a preposition. It must agree in gender and number with the noun it replaces and contracts with the prepositions à and de. Variations therefore include lequel, lesquels, laquelle,   lesquelles, auquel, auxquels, à laquelle,   auxquelles, duquel, desquels, de laquelle, and desquelles.

Dont replaces the person or thing after "de"  or indicates possession. Example C'est la personne dont la maison a été volée (That's the person whose house was robbed).

Où is used for both place and time. For example "La   banque où j'ai travaillé est à côté de le Hotel de ville" (The bank where I work is next to the city hall)

Neuf heures est le temps où nous commençons à travailler (Nine O'clock is the time we begin to work)

Answer 2

Hi, Just as in English, a French relative pronoun links a dependent/relative clause (i.e., a clause that cannot stand alone) to a main clause. Que, qui, lequel, dont, où, are the French relative pronouns. There are no standard translations for these words; depending on context, the English equivalents are who, whom, that, which, whose, where, or when.

Note that in French, relative pronouns are required, whereas in English, they are sometimes optional.

Que replaces the direct object (person or thing) in the dependent clause :

J'ai acheté le livre. Ma soeur l'a écrit. J'ai acheté le livre que ma soeur a écrit. - I bought the book (that) my sister wrote.

Qui est le peintre ? Je l'ai vu aujourd'h*i. Qui est le peintre que j'ai vu aujourd'h*i ? Who is the painter (that) I saw today ?

Qui replaces the subject (person or thing) in the dependent clause. Note that qui does not always translate as "who."

Je cherche l'artiste. Il étudie à Paris. Je cherche l'artiste qui étudie à Paris. I'm looking for the artist (who is) studying in Paris.

Trouvez le chat. Il habite dans la cave. Trouvez le chat qui habite dans la cave. Find the cat that lives in the basement.

Qui also replaces an indirect object (person only) after a preposition (except de - see dont), including prepositions which are required after a given verb or expression.

C'est la femme avec qui je travaille, That's the woman with whom I work. (That's the woman I work with.)

La fille à qui j'ai parlé est très sympathique, The girl to whom I spoke is very nice. (The girl [that] I spoke to...)

L'étudiant contre qui je me suis assis... - The student next to whom I sat... (The student [that] I sat next to...) Lequel or one of its variations replaces an object of a preposition (thing only ; except de - see dont).

Le livre dans lequel j'ai écrit mon nom...  The book in which I wrote my name...

Les idées auxquelles j'ai pensé... - The ideas that I thought about...

Dont replaces the person or thing after de

Où est le reçu ? J'ai besoin du reçu. Où est le reçu dont j'ai besoin ? - Where is the receipt (that) I need?

C'est la femme. J'ai parlé de la femme. C'est la femme dont j'ai parlé. - That's the woman (that) I talked about.

Dont also indicates possession : Voici l'homme. Sa valise est dans la voiture. Voici l'homme dont la valise est dans la voiture. - That's the man whose suitcase is in the car.

Où is used for both place and time.

La boulangerie où j'ai travaillé est à côté de la banque. The bakery where I worked is next to the bank. (The bakery [that] I worked at...)

Lundi, c'est le jour où nous faisons les achats. Monday is the day that we do our shopping. Good luck in french, merci d'apprendre le français et sa grammaire très difficile, congratulations ! !