lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles and more - Relative Pronouns

LEQUEL, LAQUELLE, etc. - Pronoms Relatifs

Part of Level 2 | French Pronouns

With a preposition other than À or DE

LEQUEL, LAQUELLE, LESQUELS AND LESQUELLES are relative pronouns. Relative pronouns exist to connect two sentences, each of which would otherwise stand alone.

LEQUEL, LAQUELLE, etc are used with a preposition other than À or DE. They are often translated as ‘whom’,‘which’ or often nothing.

• LEQUEL …. replaces a masculine-singular noun
• LAQUELLE …. replaces a feminine-singular noun
• LESQUELS …. replaces a masculine-plural noun
• LESQUELLES …. replaces a feminine- plural noun

In context

Le vin est rouge. Je mange du fromage avec le vin. — The wine is red. I’m eating cheese with the wine.

The two sentences become one with a relative pronoun:

Le vin avec lequel je mange du fromage est rouge. — The wine with which I’m eating cheese is red.

They are used as is with a preposition other than DE or À.

Main French prepositions used

avec, with – après, after – contre, against – parmi, amongst – chez, at someone’s place – avant, before – derrière, behind – entre, between – par, by – pour, for – dans, in – devant, in front of – sur, on – vers, towards – sous, under

En contexte - In context

Voici le hamac dans lequel je dors l’après-midi. — Here is the hammock in which I sleep in the afternoon.

Je vois les cadeaux pour lesquels tu as dépensé tant d’argent. — I see the presents for which you spent so much money.

With the preposition DE

With a verb taking the preposition DE in its infinitive form, relative pronouns take the following forms

• DUQUEL …. replaces a masculine-singular noun and the preposition DE
• DE LAQUELLE …. replaces a feminine-singular noun and the preposition DE
• DESQUELS …. replaces a masculine-plural noun and the preposition DE
• DESQUELLES …. replaces a feminine- plural noun and the preposition DE

In context

Le livre duquel je parle est sur la table. (parler DE) — The book (of which) I’m talking about is on the table.

La chaise de laquelle j’ai besoin est dans la cuisine. — The chair (which) I need is in the kitchen.

* Note that the French also use DE QUI instead of DUQUEL, etc. when referring to a person and DONT instead of DUQUEL, etc. when referring to a thing. So, often DUQUEL etc. are synonym of DE QUI or DONT.

In context

La personne de qui je parle est devant nous. — The person (of whom) I’m talking about is in front of us.

Le livre dont je parle est sur la table. — The book (of which) I’m talking about is on the table.

With the preposition À

With a verb taking the preposition À in its infinitive form, relative pronouns take the following forms

• AUQUEL …. replaces a masculine-singular noun and the preposition À
• À LAQUELLE …. replaces a feminine-singular noun and the preposition À
• AUXQUELS …. replaces a masculine-plural noun and the preposition À
• AUXQUELLES …. replaces a feminine- plural noun and the preposition À

In context

Le livre auquel je pense est sur la table. (penser À) — The book (of which) I’m thinking is on the table.

La chaise à laquelle je pense est dans la cuisine. — The chair (of which) I’m thinking is in the kitchen.

* Note that the French also use À QUI instead of AUQUEL, etc. when referring to a person. So, often AUQUEL etc. are synonym of À QUI.

In context

La personne à qui je parle est devant nous. (parler à) — The person (to whom) I’m talking is in front of us.

Exercice - Practice

Replace the blank with one of the following pronoun: lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles, duquel, de laquelle, desquels, desquelles, auquel, à laquelle, auxquels,auxquelles. The trick is to know what gender and number the word that replaces the pronoun is.

1. La soirée à ___________­­­­­­­­­­­ je vais est à Paris. …. The party to which I’m going is in Paris.
2. Le candidat pour ___________ j’ai voté a gagné. …. The candidate for whom I voted won.
3. Les voitures entre ___________ tu fais patin sont mal garées. …. The cars in between which you are roller-skating are badly parked.
4. L’homme ___________ je donne les clés est le réceptionniste. …. The man to whom I’m giving the keys is the receptionist.
5. Les équipes dans ___________ elle a joué sont françaises. …. The teams in which she played are French.
6. Les animaux ___________ vous avez peur sont des insectes. …. The animals you’re afraid of are insects.
7. Les bâtiments devant ___________ je t’attends sont des gratte-ciels gris. …. The buildings in front of which I’m waiting for you are grey skyscrapers.
8. Les vacances ___________ je rêve sont en Dordogne. …. The vacation/holidays I’m dreaming about are in Dordogne.
9. Les fautes ___________ je me réfère sont corrigées. …. The mistakes I’m referring to are corrected.
10. La route sur ___________ vous roulerez est plus courte. …. The road on which you are going to drive is shorter.

Answers

1. La soirée à laquelle je vais est à Paris.
2. Le candidat pour lequel/qui j’ai voté a gagné.
3. Les voitures entre lesquelles tu fais du patin sont mal garées.
4. L’homme auquel/à qui je donne les clés est le réceptionniste.
5. Les équipes dans lesquelles elle a joué sont françaises.
6. Les animaux desquels vous avez peur sont des insectes. dont vous avez peur
7. Les bâtiments devant lesquels je t’attends sont des gratte-ciels gris.
8. Les vacances desquelles je rêve sont en Dordogne. dont ????
9. Les fautes auxquelles je me réfère sont corrigées.
10. La route sur laquelle vous roulerez est plus courte.

LEQUEL, LAQUELLE, etc. as interrogative pronouns

LEQUEL, LAQUELLE, LESQUELS AND LESQUELLES may also be interrogative pronouns. They are generally placed at the beginning of the sentence.

To practice, hide the column of your choice and translate into the other language.

1. Lequel préfère-t-il ? …. Which one (ms) does he prefer?
2. Desquels parlent-elles ? …. Which ones (mp) are they talking about?
3. À laquelle des soirées vas-tu ? …. To which party (one of the parties) are you going?
4. Pour lequel des candidats votez-vous ? …. Which candidate (ms) are you voting for?
5. Devant lesquels m’attendez-vous ? …. In front of which ones (ms) are you waiting for me?
6. Laquelle va-t-on acheter ? …. Which one are we going to buy?
7. Vers lesquelles va-t-il aller ? …. Towards which ones (f) is he going to go?
8. Auxquels penses-tu ? …. Which ones (mp) are you thinking about?
9. De laquelle as-tu peur ? …. Which one (fs) are you afraid of?
10. Dans lesquels vais-je les mettre ? …. In which ones (ms) am I going to put them?

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