Que or Qui

[Sue56]

Having looked in several different books I am still not entirely sure when to use que and when to use qui.

My book say use qui when talking about the subject of the verb and use que with the object of the verb.

Can anyone give me a straight forward plain English explanation?

Thank you.

[Fumanzoku]

Isn't it just like English, qui (who) for people/names, que (that) for objects ?

[Deby]

I always try a remember to use this little rule

qui = tends to mean who

que - tends to mean what

however

it is not exactly true as it is to do with objects and subjects of a sentence

Deby is late  = Qui est-ce qui est en retard

Deby is the Subject,  is = the verb,   late = (i think adverb)

Who do you know here?

Qui est-ce que tu connais ici

Who do you know here?

Who is the subject, do know = the verb and  que is the DIRECT OBJECT

Clear as mud I know and I still get it mixed up

deby

 

[Tourangelle]

Qui is always who when it is a question, but when it is to indicate a relative the distinction becames unhelpful.

Condsider the sentence

La personne que j'ai vue ...

there is a person but it is still que...

I think it can be simplified still further

Je pense qu'elle n'est pas souvent en retard

pretty much every time there is je tu il elle nous vous ils elles directly after, it is going to be que

but if it is just directly before the verb it is qui

ce n'est pas elle qui est tout le temps en retard, c'est Pierre.

Doesn't work all the time, but mostly...

Anyway, qui va lentement va sûrement

[Richardrawlings]

Qui means who which or that and is always the subject of the verb following it

so use Qui when it is followed by a verb

L'homme qui a vole l'argent (the man who stole the money)

Que means whom which or that and is always the object of the verb following it

Use que when it is followed by a noun or a subject pronoun

L'homme que j'ai vu (the man that I saw)

 

Qui is never shortened to QU but Que is shorthened to Qu'

 

[Loiseau]

QUOTE

Qui est-ce que tu connais ici
Who do you know here?
Who is the subject, do know = the verb and  que is the DIRECT OBJECT

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Am I being horribly nit-picking here, Deby? 
Should not the English question be "Whom do you know here?"?

with "you" being the subject, "do know" the verb, "whom" the direct object, and "here" an adverb.

Sorry, I know the topic is French grammar - and thanks for the very clear explanation, Richard...

 

Angela