Relative clauses II: mood and prepositions

What it is

This topic completes the relative clause (oración de relativo), the clause that describes a noun: el libro que compré. At B1 you used que, quien, donde and lo que to talk about people and things you know. Now come four B2 points: the subjunctive when the thing you describe may not exist, a preposition plus an article plus que when the verb needs a preposition, the right place for quien, and clauses between commas that only add information.

How it works

The mood depends on the antecedent, the noun the clause describes. If you know it exists and could point to it, use the indicative. If you are still looking for it, imagining it, asking about it or saying it doesn't exist, use the subjunctive.

In a past context the subjunctive moves to the imperfect: Buscábamos una casa que tuviera jardín.

Preposition + article + que. When the verb inside the clause needs a preposition (trabajar en, hablar de, salir con, referirse a), the preposition moves to the front of the clause, before the relative, followed by an article that agrees with the antecedent. Spanish never leaves the preposition at the end, as English does ("the company I work for"), and never drops it.

Remember the contractions: de + el que = del que, a + el que = al que. With people you can also use quien / quienes after the preposition: la chica con quien salgo, los vecinos con quienes hablé. After en the article can go (el día en que nos conocimos), and for places donde also works (la ciudad donde nací). Formal writing also uses el cual / la cual here: la empresa en la cual trabajo.

When to use it

• Describing what you're looking for: job ads, flat hunting, profiles. Buscamos una persona que tenga experiencia y que sepa trabajar en equipo.
• Denying that something exists: No hay nada en este menú que me guste. No conozco a ningún mecánico que trabaje los domingos.
• Non-defining clauses (between commas) add extra information about something already identified. They use que or, for people, quien, and they take the indicative: Mi abuela, que vive en Arequipa, cumple noventa años.
• Headless relatives have no noun in front. El que / la que / los que / las que and quien mean "the one(s) who" or "whoever"; lo que means "what" or "whatever". With an open or future reference they take the subjunctive: Los que terminen pueden salir. Quien quiera venir, que venga. With a known reference, the indicative: Los que terminaron ya salieron.

• Necesitamos a alguien que sepa programar.We need someone who can code.unknown person → subjunctive
• Conozco a alguien que sabe programar.I know someone who can code.known person → indicative
• La empresa en la que trabajo tiene oficinas en cinco países.The company I work for has offices in five countries.trabajar en
• Pide lo que quieras, yo invito.Order whatever you like, it's on me.open choice → subjunctive

Contrasts and traps

• Same main verb, different mood. Busco al técnico que arregló mi computadora (one specific person) vs Busco un técnico que arregle computadoras (anyone who does). The personal a often disappears when the person is not specific, but alguien and nadie always take it.
• Hay alguien que… takes the indicative when the person is real: Hay alguien en la puerta que quiere hablar contigo. In a question or a denial it takes the subjunctive.
• Never drop the preposition. ✗ la ciudad que nací → la ciudad donde / en la que nací.
• The article agrees. ✗ la casa en el que vivo → la casa en la que vivo.
• No quien in a defining clause. ✗ la chica quien vive aquí → la chica que vive aquí. Quien needs a preposition, commas, or no noun in front.
• Commas change the meaning. Mis primos que viven en Quito vienen en diciembre (only those cousins) vs Mis primos, que viven en Quito, vienen en diciembre (all of them live there).
• Lo que, not el que, for "whatever". Haz lo que quieras. El que quieras means "whichever one you want" and points back to a masculine noun.

If you speak Portuguese

The mood rule matches Portuguese (Procuro um apartamento que tenha varanda), so it usually comes naturally. Watch three things: Brazilian speech drops the preposition (a empresa que eu trabalho), Spanish never does; quien has a plural, quienes; and where Portuguese uses the future subjunctive (quem chegar primeiro, o que você quiser), Spanish uses the present subjunctive: quien llegue primero, lo que quieras.