In French, when we make more complicated sentences, we use special words called relative pronouns. These words help connect different parts of the sentence and point back to nouns, making everything clearer and easier to understand.

The main relative pronouns in French are qui, que, dont, où, and lequel. Here’s how we use them:

1. To Replace Subjects:

   • Qui is used when the pronoun is the subject of the verb.
   • For example: C'est l'homme qui parle. (This means: It is the man who is speaking.)

2. To Replace Objects:

   • Que is used when the pronoun is the direct object of the verb.
   • For example: Le livre que tu lis est intéressant. (This means: The book that you are reading is interesting.)

3. To Indicate Possession:

   • Dont shows ownership or a relationship.
   • For example: C'est la femme dont je parle. (This means: That is the woman I am talking about.)

4. To Indicate Location or Time:

   • Où is used to talk about a place or time.
   • For example: Voici la ville où je suis né. (This means: Here is the city where I was born.)

5. For Specific Clarification:

   • Lequel and its forms (like laquelle, lesquels, and lesquelles) are used to make it clear what gender and number we’re talking about, especially for nouns we mentioned earlier.
   • For example: Les livres, lesquels sont sur la table, sont à moi. (This means: The books, which are on the table, belong to me.)

Using these pronouns properly is important for speaking and writing well in French. They are found in about 25% of the written French language, which shows how essential they are for good sentence structure.