This French 4 lesson explains lequel relative pronouns step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on lequel relative pronouns and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: Compound relative pronouns (lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles) follow a preposition and agree with the noun they replace: le stylo avec lequel j’écris. With à they contract to auquel, auxquels, auxquelles; with de they contract to duquel, desquels, desquelles. Dont replaces de plus a noun after verbs, but never after a compound preposition ending in de.
Level: French 4 (high school, ACTFL Intermediate Mid) · Standards: ACTFL Intermediate Mid, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational, WL 4.1 Language Comparisons
Lequel relative pronouns: the lesson
What are compound relative pronouns?
Definition
A compound relative pronoun joins two clauses after a preposition. It stands for a noun already mentioned and agrees with it in gender and number. English often strands the preposition (“the pen I write with”); French places it first, before the pronoun.
How do you use them after a preposition?
Rule
Preposition + lequel for things; preposition + qui for people. After parmi and entre, use lequel forms even for people.
Examples
- Le stylo avec lequel Zoé écrit est rouge. — The pen Zoé writes with is red.
- La salle dans laquelle le club se réunit est au deuxième étage. — The room the club meets in is on the second floor.
- Voici les raisons pour lesquelles Kofi a changé d’avis. — Here are the reasons why Kofi changed his mind.
- L’amie avec qui je voyage s’appelle Noémie. — The friend I travel with is named Noémie.
| Preposition | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| dans, sur, avec, pour, sans | lequel forms | les chaises sur lesquelles on s’assoit |
| à (penser à, répondre à) | auquel forms | la lettre à laquelle il répond |
| à côté de, près de, en face de | duquel forms | la gare en face de laquelle j’attends |
When do auquel and duquel appear?
Verbs and expressions followed by à (penser à, participer à, s’intéresser à) give auquel forms: Le concours auquel Léa participe est difficile. — The contest Léa takes part in is hard. Compound prepositions ending in de (à côté de, près de, en face de, au milieu de, autour de) give duquel forms: Voici le lac à côté duquel nous avons campé. — Here is the lake next to which we camped.
Dont or duquel?
Dont replaces de plus a noun after a verb or noun that takes de: Le film dont tout le monde parle sort demain. — The movie everyone is talking about comes out tomorrow. It can also mean “whose”: L’équipe dont Ibrahim est le capitaine a gagné. But dont never follows a preposition: say le parc au milieu duquel se trouve un lac.
Common mistake
English speakers drop the pronoun or leave the preposition at the end: *le stylo que j’écris avec. Always bring the preposition forward: le stylo avec lequel j’écris. Never write *à côté dont.
Culture note
Compound relatives belong mostly to written and formal French. In conversation, French speakers often split a long sentence in two instead, but you will meet these pronouns constantly in essays, newspapers and exams.
Zoé’s tip
Find the preposition first, then the noun it points back to. Its gender and number choose the form of lequel. If the preposition is à or de, check the contraction.
Key points to remember
- Preposition + lequel / laquelle / lesquels / lesquelles replaces a thing.
- For people after a preposition, French usually prefers qui: l’amie avec qui je voyage.
- À + lequel becomes auquel; à + lesquels / lesquelles becomes auxquels / auxquelles.
- À côté de, près de, en face de, au milieu de take duquel / de laquelle, not dont.
- Dont is used for verbs and nouns linked with de: le film dont je parle.
Lequel, Auquel, Duquel After Prepositions: frequently asked questions
When do I use qui instead of lequel after a preposition?
Use qui when the antecedent is a person: l’amie avec qui je voyage. Use a lequel form when it is a thing, and also after parmi or entre, even for people: les élèves parmi lesquels j’ai choisi.
Why is it auquel and not à lequel?
À contracts with masculine singular lequel to form auquel, and with plural lesquels and lesquelles to form auxquels and auxquelles. The feminine singular does not contract: à laquelle.
Can I say à côté dont?
No. Dont never follows a preposition. Compound prepositions ending in de take duquel, de laquelle, desquels or desquelles, as in le lac à côté duquel nous avons campé.
How do I choose between dont and duquel?
Dont replaces de plus a noun after a verb or noun with de (parler de, avoir besoin de, whose). Duquel is used when a preposition comes before the pronoun, as in au milieu duquel.
Does où replace a preposition plus lequel?
Often, yes. For places and times, où usually replaces dans lequel, sur lequel and similar: la ville où j’habite. It cannot replace avec, pour or sans.