cuyo and el cual
whose / which (formal)
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whose / which (formal)
cuyo/cuya/cuyos/cuyas agree with the thing owned: la autora cuyos libros leí. el/la/los/las cual(es) is a more formal which, often after a preposition: la casa en la cual vivo.
Examples in context
Read the examples and compare their English meanings.
Possessive relative ('whose')
Cuyo agrees with the owned item.
Conocí al escritor cuyos libros son tan populares.
I met the writer whose books are so popular.
Formal relative with prepositions ('which/whom')
Matches gender and number of antecedent.
Es el edificio en el cual pasé mi infancia.
It is the building in which I spent my childhood.
Common mix-ups
English speakers often misuse 'al cual' for possession instead of using 'cuyo'.
The man whose car was stolen is sad.
Try a reply
Say or write your answer in Spanish before opening the example.
I know the woman whose daughter lives here.
Show one possible answer
Conozco a la mujer cuya hija vive aquí.
Other wording can work too. Compare the verb form, agreement, and word order with the lesson. Then try a sentence about your own day.
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