Lequel – Interrogative Pronoun

French interrogative pronoun lequel
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Pronom interrogatif

Lequel, "which one," is the third interrogative pronoun and the pronominal equivalent of the interrogative adjective quel, meaning that quel + noun can be replaced by lequel. And like quel, lequel has different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun it replaces.

Par exemple…

quel dictionnaire > lequel   which dictionary > which one
quelle salle > laquelle   which room > which one
quels journaux > lesquels   which newspapers > which ones
quelles écoles > lesquelles   which schools > which ones

Note that lequel always requires an antecedent – a previously mentioned word that the pronoun refers back to and replaces.

Par exemple…

– Je vais acheter la voiture.
– Laquelle ?
  – I’m going to buy the car.
– Which one?
– Nous avons vu ton frère.
– Lequel ? J’en ai quatre.
  – We saw your brother.
– Which one? I have four.

Lequel is often used with a preposition, and when that preposition is à or de, it contracts with lequel exactly like definite articles do.

Par exemple…

– Je vais parler à mon prof.
– Auquel ?

  – I’m going to talk to my teacher.
– (To) Which one?
– Il se souvient de notre voyage.
– Duquel ? Celui en France ou en Italie ?
  – He’s remembering our trip.
– Which one? The one to France or Italy?

 Lequel can also be a relative pronoun or a relative adjective.

 Related lessons

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Lequel - French interrogative pronoun

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