Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
Familiar Faces Nearby in Spanish
This guide helps parents use relative clauses in Spanish to point out and describe people, animals, and objects in a baby's immediate environment, fostering recognition and vocabulary development.
What you'll learn
- Identify people and objects using the relative pronoun 'que'.
- Construct simple descriptive clauses where 'que' acts as the subject.
- Learn everyday nouns related to the home and neighborhood.
Spanish phrases for familiar faces nearby
Ese es el hombre que trae nuestra compra.
That is the man who brings our shopping.
Uses 'que' as a relative pronoun referring to 'el hombre'.
Aquí está la mujer que vive al lado.
Here is the woman who lives next door.
'Al lado' is a common way to say 'next door' or 'nearby'.
Mira al bebé que duerme en el carrito.
Look at the baby who is sleeping in the pram.
In Spanish, we use the personal 'a' (al) when looking at a specific person.
Esos son los patos que nadan en el estanque.
Those are the ducks that swim in the pond.
'Que' works for both people and animals/objects.
Aquí está la cuchara que siempre se cae al suelo.
Here is the spoon that always falls on the floor.
'Se cae' is the reflexive form of the verb 'caer' (to fall).
Esa es la manta que te mantiene caliente.
That is the blanket that keeps you warm.
'Mantiene' comes from the verb 'mantener'.
Aquí está el libro que está al lado de tu cuna.
Here is the book that lies beside your cot.
'Cuna' is the specific word for a baby's crib or cot.
Esos son los juguetes que hacen un ruido gracioso.
Those are the toys that make a funny noise.
'Gracioso' means funny or cute in this context.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
La compra
Shopping / Groceries
Refers to the items bought, not just the act of shopping.
El carrito
Pram / Stroller
A diminutive of 'carro', used commonly for baby strollers.
El estanque
Pond
A small body of water, often found in parks.
La cuna
Crib / Cot
Where a baby sleeps.
Relative Clauses with 'que'
In Spanish, 'que' is the most common relative pronoun. It functions like 'who', 'which', or 'that' in English. When 'que' is the subject of the relative clause, the verb follows it directly. Unlike some other languages, the verb does not move to the end of the sentence; it stays in its natural position after the subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | El [sustantivo] que... | El perro que ladra. |
| Feminine Singular | La [sustantivo] que... | La gata que corre. |
| Plural | Los/Las [sustantivos] que... | Los niños que juegan. |
More examples
La pelota que rebota es roja.
The ball that bounces is red.
A simple subject-verb structure within the relative clause.
El gato que maúlla tiene hambre.
The cat that meows is hungry.
'Maúlla' is the verb for a cat making noise.
Las flores que huelen bien están ahí.
The flowers that smell good are there.
Demonstrating plural agreement.