Mission: show a visitor your favourite places
Join ideas with qui, que and où, so your sentences flow instead of stopping and starting.
FrenchA2 · Plans and favoursAbout 5 min: 2 reading, 3 practiceUpdated
- Use qui when the next verb needs a subject
- Use que (qu') when the next verb already has a subject
- Use où for places and times
- Join two short sentences into one
Plans and favours: lesson 5 of 5
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Level Level A2 (around the DELF A2 exam). Real French: recommending places to someone visiting your town.
What it is
Your mission: your cousin Manon is visiting your town for a weekend. Recommend three places, and for each say something about it in one flowing sentence: the café that does the best croissants, the park where I run…
Three small words join two sentences:
| Word | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| qui | the next verb has no subject yet: qui is the subject | J'ai un ami qui habite à Lyon. (he lives) |
| que (qu') | the next verb already has a subject: que is the object | C'est le café que je préfère. (I prefer it) |
| où | a place or a time | C'est le parc où je cours. / le jour où je suis arrivé(e) |
A quick test: look at what follows. A verb straight away → qui. A subject (je, tu, Paul…) and then a verb → que.
Que becomes qu' before a vowel: le film qu'il a vu. Qui never shortens: l'ami qui arrive.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
« C'est une ville … j'adore. »
- The next verb (adore) already has a subject: j'
- où is for "where / when", not "which I love"
Show answer
que. A subject (j') and a verb follow → que: une ville que j'adore.
Why it matters
Without these words, speech sounds like a list: Il y a un café. Il est près de la gare. Je l'adore. With them: Il y a un café que j'adore, près de la gare. Joining ideas is one of the things that moves you from A1 to A2 in both speaking and writing.
Worked example
Showing Manon round:
- D'abord, il y a la boulangerie qui fait les meilleurs croissants de la ville.
- Ensuite, je t'emmène au parc où je cours le dimanche.
- Et le soir, on va au petit restaurant que mes amis adorent.
- Manon: C'est le restaurant où tu as fêté ton anniversaire ?
- Oui, c'est ça !
Real French: in speech people also use c'est … que to highlight something: C'est ce café que je préfère. And là où is common for "(the place) where": C'est là où j'habite.
Common mistake
Choosing by person instead of by grammar, as with English who / which. In French, qui and que are about what follows, not about people or things: le livre qui est sur la table (a thing, but qui because "est" has no subject); l'homme que j'ai vu (a person, but que because "j'ai vu" has a subject).
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
« La femme … parle avec Paul est ma sœur. »
- parle has no subject of its own: qui
- où is for places and times
Show answer
qui. verb straight after → qui.
Key terms
- qui
- who, which, that (subject of the next verb)
- que (qu')
- who(m), which, that (the next verb has its own subject)
- où
- where; when (after a time word: le jour où)
- là où
- (the place) where
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 4 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| qui | who, which, that (subject of the next verb) |
| que (qu') | who(m), which, that (the next verb has its own subject) |
| où | where; when (after a time word: le jour où) |
| là où | (the place) where |
Practice
Sort it
qui, que or où?
le musée … est fermé le lundi
est has no subjectShow answer
qui. est has no subject
le livre … tu m'as prêté
tu is the subjectShow answer
que. tu is the subject
la ville … je suis né(e)
a placeShow answer
où. a place
l'ami … m'a aidé
a verb followsShow answer
qui. a verb follows
l'année … je suis parti(e)
a timeShow answer
où. a time
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
Join: « J'ai vu un film. Le film était génial. »
- était has no subject: qui
- où is for places and times
Show answer
J'ai vu un film qui était génial.. The film is the subject of était → qui.
« Voici la photo … il a prise. »
- il is the subject of a prise: que → qu'
- Before a vowel que becomes qu'
Show answer
qu'. subject follows, before a vowel → qu'.
Build the sentence
Build "It's the park where I run."
Show answer
C'est le parc où je cours.. A place → où.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Manon, my French cousin visiting my town for a weekend. Speak naturally but clearly, at level A2, using tu. Start with « Alors, qu'est-ce que tu me conseilles ? ». Ask me about places to eat, walk, visit and go out, one question at a time, and ask follow-ups like « C'est le café où … ? » or « C'est le restaurant que … ? ». After each of my answers, tell me in English what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again; watch qui / que / où. When I have recommended three places, each with a sentence using qui, que or où (all three used at least once), say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- qui + verb (qui is the subject): l'ami qui habite à Lyon.
- que / qu' + subject + verb: le café que je préfère.
- où for places and times: le parc où je cours, le jour où je suis arrivé(e).
- Choose by what follows, not by person or thing.
Mastery check
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Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
« Voici le livre … j'ai lu. »
Show answer
que (j' is the subject of ai lu): voici le livre que j'ai lu.
Join: « J'ai un voisin. Il est très sympa. »
Show answer
J'ai un voisin qui est très sympa.
"The town where I live."
Show answer
La ville où j'habite.
Further reading
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français: A2 exercises on qui, que, où.
- RFI, Journal en français facile: news sentences are full of qui and que. Try spotting which is which.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.