What Are Relative Clauses in French?
In French, a relative clause is a group of words that gives more information about a noun. There are two main types: les relatives déterminatives (restrictive relative clauses) and les relatives explicatives (non-restrictive relative clauses). Understanding the difference between these two types will help you write more precise and natural French sentences.
Simple Examples to Get Started
- Les étudiants qui travaillent dur réussissent leurs examens. (The students who work hard pass their exams.) — restrictive
- Marie, qui travaille dur, a réussi son examen. (Marie, who works hard, passed her exam.) — non-restrictive
Notice the commas in the second example? That small detail changes everything. Let us explore why.
The Key Elements of Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses
1. La relative déterminative (Restrictive Relative Clause)
This type of clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence. It restricts or defines exactly which noun you are talking about. Without it, the sentence would be unclear or incomplete. There are no commas around this clause.
- Le livre que j’ai acheté est intéressant. (The book that I bought is interesting.) — which book? The one I bought.
- Les enfants qui mangent des légumes sont en bonne santé. (Children who eat vegetables are healthy.) — not all children, only those who eat vegetables.
- La femme dont tu parles est ma voisine. (The woman you are talking about is my neighbour.)
2. La relative explicative (Non-Restrictive Relative Clause)
This type of clause adds extra information about a noun, but it is not necessary to identify it. The noun is already clearly defined. This clause is always separated by commas, and in spoken French, by a short pause.
- Paris, qui est la capitale de la France, est une belle ville. (Paris, which is the capital of France, is a beautiful city.) — we already know which city we mean.
- Mon frère, que tu connais bien, arrive demain. (My brother, whom you know well, is arriving tomorrow.)
- Ce film, dont tout le monde parle, sort vendredi. (This film, which everyone is talking about, comes out on Friday.)
3. The Role of Commas
Commas are the most visible sign of this difference. In writing, they signal that the clause is explanatory, not restrictive. Removing a non-restrictive clause does not change the core meaning. Removing a restrictive clause does.
| Type | Commas? | Essential to meaning? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Déterminative | No | Yes | Les élèves qui étudient réussissent. |
| Explicative | Yes | No | Les élèves, qui sont motivés, réussissent. |
Why This Grammar Point Matters
At first glance, this distinction may seem like a small detail. But it actually changes the meaning of your sentence quite significantly. Look at these two examples:
- Les touristes qui visitent le Louvre sont impressionnés. — Only the tourists who visit the Louvre are impressed (not all tourists).
- Les touristes, qui visitent le Louvre, sont impressionnés. — All tourists are impressed, and by the way, they visit the Louvre.
In the first sentence, you are talking about a specific group. In the second, you are making a general statement about all tourists. This is a real difference in meaning, not just a punctuation rule. Mastering this point will make your French writing much clearer and more professional.
Comparison With Other Languages
You might be wondering if your own language has a similar rule. The good news is that many languages do!
| Language | Restrictive | Non-Restrictive | Key signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Le chien qui aboie ne mord pas. | Mon chien, qui aboie souvent, est gentil. | Commas + pause |
| English | The dog that barks does not bite. | My dog, which barks often, is friendly. | Commas + ‘which’ vs ‘that’ |
| Spanish | El perro que ladra no muerde. | Mi perro, que ladra mucho, es simpático. | Commas + pause |
In English, many speakers use ‘that’ for restrictive clauses and ‘which’ for non-restrictive ones. French does not make this distinction with different pronouns — it relies mainly on commas and context. Spanish works very similarly to French on this point.
A Full Example in Context
Read this short paragraph and notice how both types of relative clauses are used together:
J’ai deux collègues. La collègue qui parle espagnol va travailler à Madrid. Sophie, qui parle aussi italien, reste à Paris.
(I have two colleagues. The colleague who speaks Spanish is going to work in Madrid. Sophie, who also speaks Italian, is staying in Paris.)
- In the first sentence, the clause tells us which colleague — it is restrictive.
- In the second sentence, Sophie is already identified by name. The clause simply adds extra information — it is non-restrictive.
Key Takeaways
- A relative déterminative defines or restricts the noun. No commas. It is essential to the meaning.
- A relative explicative adds extra information about a noun that is already identified. Use commas.
- Removing a restrictive clause changes the meaning. Removing a non-restrictive clause does not.
- French relies on commas (not different pronouns) to mark this difference.
- This rule exists in English and Spanish too, so use your knowledge of your own language as a guide.
Sources
- Riegel, M., Pellat, J.-C., & Rioul, R. (2018). Grammaire méthodique du français. Presses Universitaires de France.
- Grevisse, M., & Goosse, A. (2016). Le Bon Usage (16th ed.). De Boeck Supérieur.
- Chartrand, S.-G. (2016). Mieux enseigner la grammaire. Pearson ERPI.