Relative Clauses

What it means

A relative clause is part of a sentence that gives more information about a noun. "The woman who called you is my teacher." In English, the clause comes after the noun, just like ដែល in Khmer (ស្ត្រីដែលបានទូរសព្ទមកអ្នក). Chinese is the opposite: the description comes before the noun with 的 (给你打电话的那位女士).

How to make it

• who for people: The woman who called you is my teacher.
• which for things: The phone which I bought is broken.
• that for people or things (defining clauses only): The book that I bought is great.
• whose for possession: I have a friend whose father is a famous singer.
• where for places: That's the restaurant where we had our first date.
• Leave out the pronoun when it is the object (defining clauses only): The book (that) I bought is great. But keep it when it is the subject: The man who lives next door...

When to use it

• To say which person or thing you mean: The man who lives next door is a doctor.
• To add extra facts: Siem Reap, which is famous for Angkor Wat, attracts millions of tourists.
• To join two short sentences: I have a friend. His father is a singer. → I have a friend whose father is a singer.

Compare

• Defining (no commas): tells WHICH one; the sentence needs it. The man who lives next door is a doctor.
• Non-defining (with commas): extra information; the sentence is complete without it. My brother, who lives in Seoul, is a doctor.
• "that" only in defining clauses: Siem Reap, which is famous for Angkor Wat... (not "Siem Reap, that is...")
• who vs which: who = people, which = things.

Common mistakes

• ❌ the book that I bought it → ✅ the book that I bought ("that" already replaces "it"; don't repeat it)
• ❌ I have a friend who his father is a singer. → ✅ I have a friend whose father is a singer. (whose = his / her / their)
• ❌ My brother, that lives in Seoul, is a doctor. → ✅ My brother, who lives in Seoul, is a doctor. (no "that" after a comma)