Lequel - French Pronoun
Lequel (which usually means which)
is arguably the most difficult French pronoun, for several reasons.
I. It has to agree in gender and number with the noun it replaces:
| singular | plural | |
| masc. | lequel | lesquels |
| fem. | laquelle | lesquelles |
II. Like the definite articles le and les, lequel
and its plural forms contract with
the prepositions à and
de:
|
à + lequel |
de + lequel |
|||
| auquel | auxquels | duquel | desquels | |
| à laquelle | auxquelles | de laquelle | desquelles | |
III.Lequel can be either an interrogative
pronoun or a relative pronoun:
- As an interrogative pronoun, lequel
replaces quel + noun.
| Quel livre veux-tu ? Lequel veux-tu ? [Quel livre ?] |
Which book do you want? Which one do you want? |
| Je veux la pomme là-bas. Laquelle ? [Quelle pomme ?] |
I want the apple over there. Which one? [Which apple?] |
| Je pense à mon frère. Auquel penses-tu ? [À quel frère...] |
I'm thinking about my brother. Which one are you thinking about? |
As a relative pronoun, lequel replaces an object of a preposition that is a thing. (If the object of the preposition is a person, use qui)
| Le livre dans lequel j'ai écrit... | The book in which I wrote... |
| La ville à laquelle je songe... | The town about which I'm dreaming... |
| Le cinéma près duquel j'ai
mangé... |
The theater near which I
ate... OR The theater I ate near... |
IV. Lequel can also be a
relative adjective.
| N'importe lequel |
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