diff --git a/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py b/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py
index 36eee4b2a7..6b2ea0e017 100644
--- a/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py
+++ b/django/db/models/sql/compiler.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from django.db import DatabaseError, NotSupportedError
 from django.db.models.constants import LOOKUP_SEP
 from django.db.models.expressions import F, OrderBy, RawSQL, Ref, Value
 from django.db.models.functions import Cast, Random
-from django.db.models.query_utils import Q, select_related_descend
+from django.db.models.query_utils import select_related_descend
 from django.db.models.sql.constants import (
     CURSOR, GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE, MULTI, NO_RESULTS, ORDER_DIR, SINGLE,
 )
@@ -1509,7 +1509,7 @@ class SQLDeleteCompiler(SQLCompiler):
             # to the target table on MySQL.
             sql, params = innerq.get_compiler(connection=self.connection).as_sql()
             innerq = RawSQL('SELECT * FROM (%s) subquery' % sql, params)
-        outerq.add_q(Q(pk__in=innerq))
+        outerq.add_filter('pk__in', innerq)
         return self._as_sql(outerq)
 
 
@@ -1633,11 +1633,11 @@ class SQLUpdateCompiler(SQLCompiler):
             idents = []
             for rows in query.get_compiler(self.using).execute_sql(MULTI):
                 idents.extend(r[0] for r in rows)
-            self.query.add_filter(('pk__in', idents))
+            self.query.add_filter('pk__in', idents)
             self.query.related_ids = idents
         else:
             # The fast path. Filters and updates in one query.
-            self.query.add_filter(('pk__in', query))
+            self.query.add_filter('pk__in', query)
         self.query.reset_refcounts(refcounts_before)
 
 
diff --git a/django/db/models/sql/query.py b/django/db/models/sql/query.py
index 8ecac4a3b7..181d4419fa 100644
--- a/django/db/models/sql/query.py
+++ b/django/db/models/sql/query.py
@@ -1357,8 +1357,8 @@ class Query(BaseExpression):
                     clause.add(lookup_class(value, False), AND)
         return clause, used_joins if not require_outer else ()
 
-    def add_filter(self, filter_clause):
-        self.add_q(Q(**{filter_clause[0]: filter_clause[1]}))
+    def add_filter(self, filter_lhs, filter_rhs):
+        self.add_q(Q((filter_lhs, filter_rhs)))
 
     def add_q(self, q_object):
         """
@@ -1762,15 +1762,15 @@ class Query(BaseExpression):
                 LIMIT 1
             )
         """
-        filter_lhs, filter_rhs = filter_expr
-        if isinstance(filter_rhs, OuterRef):
-            filter_expr = (filter_lhs, OuterRef(filter_rhs))
-        elif isinstance(filter_rhs, F):
-            filter_expr = (filter_lhs, OuterRef(filter_rhs.name))
         # Generate the inner query.
         query = Query(self.model)
         query._filtered_relations = self._filtered_relations
-        query.add_filter(filter_expr)
+        filter_lhs, filter_rhs = filter_expr
+        if isinstance(filter_rhs, OuterRef):
+            filter_rhs = OuterRef(filter_rhs)
+        elif isinstance(filter_rhs, F):
+            filter_rhs = OuterRef(filter_rhs.name)
+        query.add_filter(filter_lhs, filter_rhs)
         query.clear_ordering(force=True)
         # Try to have as simple as possible subquery -> trim leading joins from
         # the subquery.
diff --git a/django/db/models/sql/subqueries.py b/django/db/models/sql/subqueries.py
index 904f1d096b..b1e5d2f5b7 100644
--- a/django/db/models/sql/subqueries.py
+++ b/django/db/models/sql/subqueries.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ Query subclasses which provide extra functionality beyond simple data retrieval.
 """
 
 from django.core.exceptions import FieldError
-from django.db.models.query_utils import Q
 from django.db.models.sql.constants import (
     CURSOR, GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE, NO_RESULTS,
 )
@@ -38,8 +37,10 @@ class DeleteQuery(Query):
         field = self.get_meta().pk
         for offset in range(0, len(pk_list), GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE):
             self.clear_where()
-            self.add_q(Q(
-                **{field.attname + '__in': pk_list[offset:offset + GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE]}))
+            self.add_filter(
+                f'{field.attname}__in',
+                pk_list[offset:offset + GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE],
+            )
             num_deleted += self.do_query(self.get_meta().db_table, self.where, using=using)
         return num_deleted
 
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ class UpdateQuery(Query):
         self.add_update_values(values)
         for offset in range(0, len(pk_list), GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE):
             self.clear_where()
-            self.add_q(Q(pk__in=pk_list[offset: offset + GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE]))
+            self.add_filter('pk__in', pk_list[offset: offset + GET_ITERATOR_CHUNK_SIZE])
             self.get_compiler(using).execute_sql(NO_RESULTS)
 
     def add_update_values(self, values):
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ class UpdateQuery(Query):
             query = UpdateQuery(model)
             query.values = values
             if self.related_ids is not None:
-                query.add_filter(('pk__in', self.related_ids))
+                query.add_filter('pk__in', self.related_ids)
             result.append(query)
         return result
 
diff --git a/docs/releases/4.0.txt b/docs/releases/4.0.txt
index 7275e1712d..54fe611595 100644
--- a/docs/releases/4.0.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/4.0.txt
@@ -516,6 +516,10 @@ Miscellaneous
   ``ForeignObject`` and ``ForeignObjectRel`` are removed. If needed, initialize
   ``django.db.models.sql.where.WhereNode`` instead.
 
+* The ``filter_clause`` argument of the undocumented ``Query.add_filter()``
+  method is replaced by two positional arguments ``filter_lhs`` and
+  ``filter_rhs``.
+
 .. _deprecated-features-4.0:
 
 Features deprecated in 4.0