Relative pronouns: which one(s) (lequel, laquelle, etc.) - French Grammar

What are "lequel", "laquelle", "lesquels", "lesquelles"?

"Lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles" are French relative (and interrogative) pronouns that mean roughly "which one(s)" or "which (one)". They refer back to an antecedent (a previously mentioned noun) and link a subordinate clause to the main clause. They must agree in gender and number with that antecedent.

Examples:
- J'ai deux stylos. Lequel veux-tu ? (I have two pens. Which one do you want?)
- Voici la chaise sur laquelle j'ai posé mon sac. (Here is the chair on which I put my bag.)

Forms (gender and number)

lequel — masculine singular laquelle — feminine singular lesquels — masculine plural lesquelles — feminine plural

Combined with prepositions "à" and "de", these forms change as follows:
- à + lequel → auquel (m. sg), auxquels (m. pl), à laquelle (f. sg), auxquelles (f. pl)
- de + lequel → duquel (m. sg), desquels (m. pl), de laquelle (f. sg), desquelles (f. pl)

Examples:
- Le projet auquel je participe. (The project in which I participate / to which I participate.)
- Le rapport duquel je t'ai parlé. (The report I told you about.) — note: "dont" is usually preferred here (see below).

When do I use "lequel" and its forms?

1) After a preposition (object of a preposition)

Use "lequel" when the relative pronoun is the object of a preposition (sur, dans, avec, pour, etc.). If the preposition is "à" or "de", use the contracted/appropriate form (auquel, duquel, etc.).

Examples:
- La chaise sur laquelle je me suis appuyé est vieille. (The chair on which I leaned is old.)
- L'outil avec lequel il a réparé la porte. (The tool with which he repaired the door.)
- Le livre auquel je pense. (The book I am thinking about.)
- La décision duquel nous parlons → usually: la décision dont nous parlons. (The decision we are talking about.)

2) As an interrogative pronoun: "which one(s)?"

When you ask "which one?" and you are not directly using an adjective before a noun, use "lequel" (agreeing for gender and number).

Examples:
- Tu as trois pulls. Lequel veux-tu ? (You have three sweaters. Which one do you want?)
- Parmi ces lettres, lesquelles sont importantes ? (Among these letters, which ones are important?)

Note the difference with "quel": "quel" is an adjective that modifies a noun (Quel livre ?). "Lequel" replaces the noun (Lequel veux-tu ?).

3) Referring to people vs. things

"Lequel" often refers to things, but it can refer to people after a preposition: "la personne à laquelle j'ai parlé". For people, French often prefers "qui" or "à qui" rather than "auquel / à laquelle" when possible.

Examples:
- La femme à qui j'ai parlé. (The woman I spoke to.) — very common
- La femme à laquelle j'ai parlé. (The woman to whom I spoke.) — correct, more formal

How are "lequel" and its forms formed (and contracted with "à"/"de")?

Basic forms recap:
- Masculine singular: lequel
- Feminine singular: laquelle
- Masculine plural: lesquels
- Feminine plural: lesquelles

Contractions with prepositions:
- à + lequel = auquel
- à + lesquels = auxquels
- à + laquelle = à laquelle (no contraction with feminine)
- à + lesquelles = auxquelles

- de + lequel = duquel
- de + lesquels = desquels
- de + laquelle = de laquelle
- de + lesquelles = desquelles

Examples:
- Les sujets auxquels je pense. (The topics I am thinking about.)
- Les documents desquels elle a parlé. (The documents she talked about.)

Special case with "ce"
When the antecedent is the neutral pronoun "ce" (referring to a whole idea or clause), use the fixed forms: "ce qui", "ce que", "ce dont", "ce à quoi". Do not use "ce auquel".

Example:
- Ce à quoi je pense est important. (What I am thinking about is important.)

How do I choose between "lequel", "qui", "que", and "dont"?

A simple decision process:
1. What is the function of the missing element inside the relative clause?
- If it is the subject of the verb → use "qui".
- L'homme qui parle est venu. (The man who is speaking came.)
- If it is the direct object → use "que".
- Le livre que j'ai lu est intéressant. (The book (that) I read is interesting.)
- If it is the object of a preposition (sur, dans, avec, pour, etc.) → use preposition + "lequel" (or contracted form for à/de).
- La chaise sur laquelle je suis assis. (The chair on which I am sitting.)
- If the relation is "de + ..." (possession or verbs/nouns taking "de") → prefer "dont" in many cases.
- Le livre dont je t'ai parlé. (The book I told you about.) — usually better than "le livre duquel..."

Notes on "dont":
- "Dont" replaces "de + ..." when the verb or noun inside the relative clause requires "de" (parler de, avoir besoin de, se souvenir de, la couleur de, etc.).
- If there's an extra preposition (e.g., "à côté de", "près de"), "dont" usually cannot replace it, and you must use preposition + "lequel":
- La maison à côté de laquelle j'ai grandi. (The house next to which I grew up.)
- *La maison dont j'ai grandi à côté. → incorrect.

Common mistakes and useful tips

- Wrong: L'homme lequel est venu. → Correct: L'homme qui est venu. (Use "qui" for the subject.)
- Wrong: La chaise dont je me suis assis. → Correct: La chaise sur laquelle je me suis assis. (The verb requires a preposition other than just "de".)
- Confusing "quel" and "lequel": Use "quel/quelle" before a noun (Quel livre ?), use "lequel" alone to replace the noun (Lequel veux-tu ?).
- "Ce + lequel" is wrong: use "ce qui / ce que / ce dont / ce à quoi" when the antecedent is "this/that/what" (a whole idea).
- For people, prefer "qui" (subject) or "à qui / de qui" in everyday speech; "auquel / à laquelle" sound more formal.
- When in doubt, rewrite the sentence to make the function of the missing noun obvious (subject, direct object, object of a preposition). Then pick the correct pronoun.

Comprehensive examples (grouped by use)

Interrogative: "Which one(s)?"

J'ai trois stylos. Lequel veux-tu ? (I have three pens. Which one do you want?)
Parmi ces films, lesquels as-tu déjà vus ? (Among these films, which ones have you already seen?)
Laquelle de ces chaises est libre ? (Which one of these chairs is free?)

After simple prepositions (sur, dans, avec, pour, etc.)

La table sur laquelle j'ai posé le vase est vieille. (The table on which I put the vase is old.)
Le livre dans lequel il décrit son voyage. (The book in which he describes his trip.)
Voici l'outil avec lequel j'ai réparé la fenêtre. (Here is the tool with which I repaired the window.)
C'est le stylo pour lequel j'ai payé cher. (This is the pen for which I paid a lot.)

After "à" (auquel / auxquels / à laquelle / auxquelles)

Le projet auquel je participe est intéressant. (The project in which I participate / to which I belong is interesting.)
Les questions auxquelles il a répondu étaient pertinentes. (The questions to which he answered were relevant.)

After "de" (duquel / desquels / de laquelle / desquelles) — and when to prefer "dont"

Voici le rapport duquel je t'ai parlé. (Here is the report I told you about.) — more commonly: Voici le rapport dont je t'ai parlé.
Les sujets desquels nous avons discuté sont nombreux. → Les sujets dont nous avons discuté is more idiomatic.
Use "duquel / desquels" when the relative clause requires the full "de + lequel" construction (often after compound prepositions or in formal style).

Compound prepositions (à côté de, près de, en face de…): use preposition + lequel

La maison à côté de laquelle j'ai grandi. (The house next to which I grew up.)
La place en face de laquelle nous nous sommes rencontrés. (The square in front of which we met.)
*La maison dont j'ai grandi à côté. → incorrect.

People vs. things: "qui" / "à qui" vs. "auquel"

L'homme qui travaille ici est gentil. (The man who works here is kind.) — "qui" as subject
La personne à qui j'ai parlé était aimable. (The person I spoke to was kind.) — common for people
L'ingénieur auquel nous avons parlé connaissait le problème. (The engineer to whom we spoke knew the problem.) — correct but a bit formal

Antecedent is a whole idea: use "ce qui / ce que / ce dont / ce à quoi"

Ce qui m'inquiète, c'est le délai. (What worries me is the deadline.)
Ce dont elle rêve est réaliste. (What she dreams of is realistic.)
Ce à quoi il pense est important. (What he is thinking about is important.)
*Ce auquel il pense. → incorrect.

Quick reference and glossary

Quick rules:
- Subject of relative clause → qui
- Direct object → que
- Object of a preposition → preposition + lequel (use contracted forms for à / de)
- Verb or noun that requires "de" → prefer "dont" (unless a compound preposition forces preposition + lequel)
- For questions: use "quel/quelle" before a noun, use "lequel" alone when the noun is understood or omitted.

Glossary:
- antecedent: the word (noun) the relative pronoun refers back to
- relative pronoun: a pronoun that introduces a relative clause and refers to an antecedent
- preposition: word that links noun phrases (à, de, sur, dans, avec, pour, etc.)
- subject/object: grammatical functions; the subject performs the action, the object receives it

Final tip: If a sentence feels awkward, try: (1) identify whether the missing element is subject / direct object / object of a preposition; (2) use "qui" or "que" for subject/object, and use the appropriate "lequel" form after prepositions. When the relation is simply "de + ...", try "dont" first — it's often the most natural option.