How to Form Complex Sentences in French | Connecting Clauses with Examples
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Interrogative Pronoun lequel | Usage, Conjugation, and Examples
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In French, there are several interrogative expressions meaning “which?” or “which one?”. Among them, lequel is a pronoun used specifically to ask about a choice from a given set of options.
Since it changes form according to the gender and number of the noun it refers to, lequel may appear complicated. However, once you learn the main patterns, it becomes very practical to use.
In this lesson, I will explain the basic usage, forms, and key points of the interrogative pronoun lequel.
Contents
1. What Is the Interrogative Pronoun lequel?
Lequel corresponds to the English “which one.” It is used to ask about a choice among several items, or to identify “which person/thing” is being referred to.
For example, when looking at several books, you may ask:
- Lequel veux-tu ? (Which one do you want?)
Here, lequel refers to one of the books already present in the context. In other words, lequel replaces a noun in order to ask “which one?”
2. Four Forms According to Gender and Number
The pronoun lequel must agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun it replaces.
| Gender / Number | Interrogative Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | lequel | Lequel est ton frère ? (Which one is your brother?) |
| Feminine singular | laquelle | Laquelle est ta sœur ? (Which one is your sister?) |
| Masculine plural | lesquels | Lesquels sont tes amis ? (Which ones are your friends?) |
| Feminine plural | lesquelles | Lesquelles sont tes chaussures ? (Which ones are your shoes?) |
Although lequel is a pronoun, it behaves like an adjective in that it must agree with gender and number.
3. Using lequel as an Object
Lequel can function as both a subject and an object, but the most common usage is as an object. It is often used after a verb to ask “which one?”
- Tu veux ce livre ou celui-là ? Lequel veux-tu ?
(Do you want this book or that one? Which one do you want?) - J’ai deux robes. Laquelle préfères-tu ?
(I have two dresses. Which one do you prefer?)
Here, because robe is a feminine noun, the correct form laquelle must be used.
4. The Structure “lequel de …”
To ask about a specific choice within a group, French uses the form lequel de …. This is a very common structure.
- Lequel de ces livres préfères-tu ?
(Which of these books do you prefer?) - Laquelle de ses filles est la plus jeune ?
(Which of his daughters is the youngest?)
Even if the noun following de is plural, you still use the singular form (lequel or laquelle) if the answer is expected to be one single item.
- lequel / laquelle: asking about one item
→ singular form - lesquels / lesquelles: asking about several items
→ plural form
Example with plural:
- Lesquels de tes amis viennent ce soir ?
(Which of your friends are coming tonight?)
Since the answer is expected to include more than one friend, the plural form lesquels is used.
5. Using lequel with Prepositions
Lequel is frequently used after prepositions to form questions such as “about which one?”, “to which one?”, or “from which one?”.
- Avec lequel travailles-tu ?
(With whom/which one are you working?) - Pour laquelle votes-tu ?
(Which one are you voting for?)
The structure is: preposition + lequel (in the appropriate form).
6. Contractions with à and de
When used after the prepositions à or de, lequel combines (contracts) with them to form special forms.
Preposition à + lequel
| Form | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| auquel | à + lequel (masculine singular) | C’est le sujet auquel je pense. (That is the subject I am thinking about.) |
| à laquelle | feminine singular | Voici la question à laquelle il répond. (Here is the question he is answering.) |
| auxquels | à + lesquels (masculine plural) | Les films auxquels il pense sont célèbres. (The films he is thinking about are famous.) |
| auxquelles | à + lesquelles (feminine plural) | Les personnes auxquelles je parle sont mes amies. (The people I am speaking to are my friends.) |
Preposition de + lequel
| Form | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| duquel | de + lequel (masculine singular) | Le livre duquel je parle est ici. (The book I am talking about is here.) |
| de laquelle | feminine singular | La rue de laquelle elle vient est étroite. (The street she comes from is narrow.) |
| desquels | de + lesquels (masculine plural) | Les sujets desquels nous discutons sont sérieux. (The topics we are discussing are serious.) |
| desquelles | de + lesquelles (feminine plural) | Les villes desquelles elle revient sont magnifiques. (The towns she is returning from are beautiful.) |
7. Summary
- Lequel means “which one?” and changes according to gender and number (lequel / laquelle / lesquels / lesquelles).
- A very common structure is lequel de + noun = “which one of …?”.
- Lequel is often used after prepositions, and with à / de it contracts to special forms (auquel, duquel, etc.).
- Although more complex than English “which one,” mastering lequel greatly expands your expressive ability in French.
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