What is the difference between ‘que’ and ‘qui’?

‘Que’ and ‘qui’ are both used to refer to things. Which one to use depends on what you are referring to. Use ‘que’ when you are referring to something that is the object of the sentence, which means something is happening to it. For example,’ La maison que j’aime…’ Here, the house is being liked, so it is the object. This means we use ‘que’. Use ‘qui’ when you are referring to something that is the subject of the sentence, which means it is doing something. For example,’ Le garçon qui aime le maison...’ Here, the boy is liking the house, so he is the subject. This means we use ‘qui’. A good rule of thumb is that if the word is followed by a verb, use ‘qui’. If it is followed by a pronoun (je, tu, il…) use ‘que’.

DP
Answered by Darshan P. French tutor

3164 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Translate: For my holiday last year, I went to Spain with my family. It was fun because we went to the beach and swam in the sea. I especially loved the food. I would like to go to Spain again, but next summer, I think I’m going to France with my friends.


When do I use the imperfect and perfect tense?


Quand j’étais jeune, je voulais être actrice mais maintenant je voudrais étudier le droit. True or false. 1)Alex is a girl. 2)Alex is a lawyer. 3)Alex wanted to be an actor.


You have been asked to provide a description of your town for a travel leaflet. Describe some of the attractions in your town and things to do there.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning