In a previous lesson, we focused on the relative pronouns el que, la que, los que and las que, which usually mean "the one" or "ones that" or "who." This time, we will introduce the remaining relative pronouns in Spanish, learning their English equivalents and how to use them in context. 

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Relative Pronouns in Review

Relative pronouns in English include "that," "which," "who," etc. in phrases like "the girl who is wearing black," "the house that we bought" and "the truck, which is brand new, broke down already." As we see, these words connect relative clauses like "is wearing black," "we bought" and "is brand new" to let the listener know what or whom specifically is being referred to and/or reveal qualities about them. Let's take a look at the equivalents of these terms in Spanish. 

Que

The relative pronoun que is the most commonly seen relative pronoun. It can refer to people or things and mean that, which, who or whom. Regardless of the number and gender of the antecedent (what the pronoun refers to), the relative pronoun que remains the same. Let's look at several examples from the Yabla Spanish video library that describe both objects and people and are translated in some of the aforementioned ways.

Hoy os quiero contar un poquito sobre el último libro que he leído.

Today, I want to tell you a little bit about the last book that I've read.

Caption 8, Adriana La lectura - Part 2

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y me inclino bastante por trabajar el realismo mágico, que es un género. 

and I'm quite inclined to work in magic realism, which is a genre.

Caption 4, Julia Silva Su cortometraje "Crisálida"

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Necesito información sobre la mujer que acaba de entrar.

I need information about the woman who just went in.

Caption 32, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 11

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Refer to this lesson on the many uses of the word que in Spanish to hear this usage contrasted with many others.

El cual, la cual, los cuales, las cuales

Like el que, la que, los que and las que, the relative pronouns el cual, la cual, los cuales and las cuales must agree with their antecedent in terms of number and gender. Since this set of pronouns can refer to objects or people, they can be translated as which or who. Let's examine an example of each one, noting the agreement between the relative pronoun and its antecedent. 

El tercer sentido es el sentido del gusto, con el cual podemos percibir el sabor de las cosas

The third sense is the sense of taste with which we can perceive the flavor of the things

Captions 33-34, Carlos explica Los cinco sentidos - Part 2

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Conocí a mi... la mamá de mis hijos, la cual tenía familia en Alemania

I met my... the mother of my children, who had family in Germany,

Captions 10-11, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Fernando y el mariachi

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y también los Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez, los cuales son muy famosos

and also, the Cecilio Rodríguez Gardens, which are very famous

Captions 27-28, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Visitando Madrid

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es decir, de opiniones en las cuales emitimos un juicio de valor sobre algo o alguien.

in other words, about opinions in which we cast a value judgment about something or someone.

Captions 11-12, Carlos explica Cómo expresar opiniones en español - Part 3

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Were you able to pick out the antecedents in each sentence and see how their corresponding relative pronouns agree in number and gender? They are: el gusto/el cual (masculine singular), la mamá de mis hijos/la cual (feminine singular), los Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez/los cuales (masculine plural) and (las) opiniones/las cuales (feminine singular).

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Quien, quienes

In contrast to the relative pronouns we have seen thus far, quien and quienes can only refer to people. While gender does not matter, quien must be used for just one person whereas quienes is used for more than one. As we see below, the English equivalents of quien and quienes are who and whom.

La una que es la persona quien conduce el bote, que se le dice el lanchero,

[Number] one is the person who drives the boat, who is called the boatman,

Caption 13, Instinto de conservación Gorgona - Part 7

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Los corsarios eran marinos en su mayoría respetables a quienes los monarcas otorgaban las patentes de corso,

The corsairs were, for the most part, respectable sailors to whom the monarchs granted letters of marque,

Captions 57-58, Viajando con Fermín Pasajes (Pasaia) - Part 3

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Note that this use differs from the use of the word quién (with an accent) as a Spanish question word. 

Lo que, lo cual

In contrast to the relative pronouns we have seen thus far, lo que (what, that, which, that which) and lo cual (which) refer not to an antecedent noun but to an entire antecedent clause. Since these clauses include nouns and verbs and entail concepts and situations, gender is not applicable. Keep in mind that while lo que may refer to something stated explicitly in the sentence or something that is not, el cual must refer to something within the sentence. With this in mind, let's see a few examples:

Pero realmente, lo que hice fue dedicarme a buscar la tierra perfecta.

But really, what I did was devote myself to looking for the perfect land.

Captions 56-57, Amaya Recordando - Part 2

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¿Qué era lo que decía, mamita?

What was it that it said, Mommy?

Caption 16, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 1 - Part 11

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podrán ver objetos colgados por todos lados, lo cual crea un ambiente bastante colorido y surreal. 

you'll be able to see objects hanging everywhere, which creates a quite colorful and surreal atmosphere.

Captions 54-55, Viajando con Carlos Andrés Carne de Res

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How do you say "just" in Spanish? To answer that question, we should first examine some of the many meanings of the word "just" in English. We could, for example, have "just" completed some action or might speak about something being "just" right... all while working for a "just" cause. With this in mind, let's explore many of the most common meanings of the English word "just," then find out how to express them in Spanish.

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1. Morally right or fair

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English adjective "just" can mean "Based or behaving according to what is morally right or fair." One Spanish equivalent of this meaning of the word "just" sounds very much like its English counterpart: justo/a. Let's see an example:

Y una ciudad, un pueblo, una sociedad más sensible es una socied'... una sociedad mucho más justa.

And a city, a town, a more sensitive society is a societ'... a much more just society.

Captions 37-38, Otavalo Claudia y sus pinturas

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Other Spanish adjectives that share similar meanings and can sometimes be translated as "just" in different contexts include justificado/a, legítimo/a, razonado/a, lógico/a, exacto/a, and preciso/a.

2. Exactly

The English word "just" can also function as an adverb meaning "exactly" or "precisely." To convey this meaning, Spanish adverbs like justo, justamente, and precisamente can be utilized. Let's look at some examples:

Precisamente es lo que iba a mencionar.

That's just what I was going to mention.

Caption 80, Arturo Vega Entrevista - Part 1

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Justo lo que yo necesitaba,

Just what I needed,

Caption 27, X6 1 - La banda - Part 11

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By extension, like the English word "just," the aforementioned Spanish words can also mean "exactly" or "almost exactly at that moment," as in the following examples:

Precisamente le iba a contar a Amalia que por cierto, vaya novia más guapa tienes,

I was just about to tell Amalia that indeed, what a beautiful girlfriend you have;

Captions 56-57, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 10

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"Justo antes de ir a acostarte, 

"Just before you go to bed,

Caption 5, Aprendiendo con Silvia Consejos para dormir mejor - Part 2

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3. Very recently/in the immediate past

In English, we often use the word "just" to describe something that happened in the immediate past. One way to convey this meaning of the word "just" in Spanish is with the formula acabar de + infinitive. Let's look at two examples of this construction, one in the present tense and one in the preterite:

La azafata acabó de salir del hotel y Zárate va tras ella. 

The flight attendant just left the hotel, and Zarate is behind her.

Caption 21, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 10

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An alternative way to get across this meaning of the English word "just" in Spanish is with the word recién:

¿Vos no estuviste en la oficina recién? 

Weren't you just at the office?

Caption 70, Muñeca Brava 2 Venganza - Part 6

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4. Barely/by a little

The word "just" can also communicate the idea of "barely" or "by a narrow margin," for which Spanish phrases like por poco or the colloquial por un pelo function similarly:

Perdimos el avión por poco/por un pelo.

We just missed the bus.

In certain cases, the Spanish phrase un poco may also communicate this idea of "just" as in a slim margin, as in the following example:

con un poco más de tres millones de habitantes.

with just over three million inhabitants.

Caption 7, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Visitando Madrid

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5. Simply/only/no more than

The English word "just" can also function like "simply" or "only," for which the Spanish words solo and solamente are viable translations:

Es una oportunidad de entrenar no solamente en nuestro cuerpo, sino también en nuestra mente,

It's an opportunity to train, not just our bodies, but also our minds,

Captions 26-27, Víctor en Caracas La natación

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The Spanish word apenas, whose translations include "barely" and "scarcely," can also be used to say "just" in the sense of "only":

6. Positively

And finally, Spanish adverbs like realmente and simplemente can get across the idea of the English word "just" with the meaning of "positively":

Realmente me encanta ser profesor, me encanta mi...

I just love being a teacher, I love my...

Caption 35, Profesor de matemática Entrevista

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No sé, mamá, simplemente me... me mató, me mató...

I don't know, Mom, it just... it killed me, it killed me...

Captions 5-6, Yago 11 Prisión - Part 8

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As you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all translation for the English word "just" since it can mean so many different things, most of which are said in different ways in Spanish. Can you think of any additional meanings of the word "just" in English and/or ways to express them in Spanish? Let us know with your comments and suggestions! 

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