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Quick Grammar Reference
P o r t u g u e s e O n l i n e

>>Pronouns > Relatives

Relatives are words that relate or connect one or even multiple sentences by using what would otherwise be interrogative pronouns. They are typically easier to handle in Portuguese than in English.

You will use the simple but indispensable relative que in a construction like o homem que conhecemos the man that we know or a pessoa que diz a verdade the person that tells the truth.

Whenever you can use the weighty words that which in English, you must rely on o que in Portuguese, even if the phrase clumsy and awkward in English. In reality, o que translates to a non-interrogative what before a noun or a pronoun. This is that which I want (or, really, this is what I want) translates to the Portuguese sentence isto é o que quero.

The relative corresponding to both (o) por que...? and (o) por quê? is porque because.

When used after a preposition, qual which can form the relative construction o qual, a qual, os quais or as quais, varying according to the number and gender of the noun it represents. Os problemas para os quais... means the problems for which.

The other question words like onde, quem/quens, quando, and como don't follow a special set of rules when used as relatives. Isto é quando vi... this is when I saw... uses the same question form of the word seen in quando vai sair? when are you going to leave?.