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"El que" is a phrase which is often translated as "the one that", and "la cual" is a phrase which is often translated as "that". Learn more about the difference between "el que" and "la cual" below.
el que
A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. the one that
¿Cuál es tu carro? - El que está estacionado junto al árbol.Which one is your car? - The one that is parked by the tree.
b. whichever
¿Qué camino elijo? - El que elijas te llevará a la aventura.What path should I choose? - Whichever you choose will take you on an adventure.
la cual
A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
1. (general)
a. that (things, animals)
Esta es la serie de TV sobre la cual te hablé. ¡Es buenísima!This is the TV show that I told you about. It's really good!
b. which (things, animals)
Ordenamos la sopa de Spam, la cual se veía buena en la foto, pero resultó ser asquerosa.We ordered the Spam soup, which looked good in the picture, but it turned out to be disgusting.
