Lequel has four basic forms, because it has to agree in gender and number with the noun it replaces. In addition, lequel has several contracted forms - like the definite articles le and les, lequel contracts with the prepositions à and de. You can see all of these forms in the table below.
Lequel is usually either an interrogative pronoun or a relative pronoun. For more information, click the links to visit the detailed lessons on these types of pronouns.
1) Interrogative pronoun: Lequel replaces quel + noun.
Quel livre veux-tu ? > Lequel veux-tu ?
Which book do you want? > Which one do you want?
Je veux la pomme là-bas. > Laquelle ?
I want the apple over there. > Which one?
Je pense à mon frère. > Auquel penses-tu ? [À quel frère...]
I'm thinking about my brother. > Which one are you thinking about?
2) Relative pronoun: Lequel replaces an inanimate object of a preposition. (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... / The theater I ate near...
Less commonly, in very formal French, lequel can also be a relative adjective.
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | |
| Forms | lequel | laquelle | lesquels | lesquelles |
| à + lequel | auquel | à laquelle | auxquels | auxquelles |
| de + lequel | duquel | de laquelle | desquels | desquelles |
