Table of Contents
Exercises
With comments
Comment:
Ok, this is step one.
We need to place the preposition correctly.
We will place it before lequel.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
- Le logiciel avec lequel tu réponds à 100 personnes
Comment:
This is step two.
We must pick the right version of lequel.
In this example, we are referring to a scholarship, which is a feminine noun in French (La bourse).
We’ll pick laquelle, as it refers to a feminine singular noun.
You can look at the picture above if you haven’t learned the different versions yet 🙂
Comment:
This exercise has the same focus as the previons one.
We need to figure out if we need the masculine or the feminine version of lequel.
Le court is a masculine noun. Thus, we’ll pick lequel.
Comment:
Ok, now it becomes a bit difficult.
We can conclude that we are referring to several things – les.
But how do we know if we are referring to a masculine or a feminine noun?
There is really no way of knowing this, given the context. This is why we should make sure to learn the gender of every new noun.
In this case, preuve is a feminine noun (la preuve).
Therefore, the correct answer is lesquelles.
Comment:
In this exercise, lequel represents an interrogative pronoun.
That is, we are using it to ask a question.
The question we are asking is: Which one?
We are referring to la robe, a feminine singular noun.
Thus, the correct answer is laquelle.
Comment: Let’s continue along the same trajectory.
We are asking a question, but this time we are referring to a masculine noun – un pull.
Lequel is the correct answer. The English translation remains: Which one?
Comment:
We can conclude that we are referring to something in plural – les documents.
The correct answers will be lesquels or lesquelles.
Both these versions refer to nouns in the plural form.
Les documents represent a masculine noun – le document.
By now you know the correct answer, right? 🙂
Lesquels.
Without comments
Important note
We should use qui instead of lequel when referring to people. I have not included any examples with people in the exercises.
Let’s look at an example:
- Mes collègues avec lesquels je fais un excellent travail: The colleagues with whom I do an excellent job.
- Mes collègues avec qui je fais un excellent travail.
Examples
When lequel is a relative pronoun
Let’s look at a couple of examples:
- L’emploi avec lequel elle a emprunté de l’argent -The employment with which she borrowed money.
Avec is our preposition. We are referring to a noun that is masculine (un emploi).
Thus, we need to connect it to the masculine singular version of lequel, which is lequel 🙂
- La carte de noël sur laquelle j’ai écrit mes voeux: The christmas card on which I wrote my wishes.
Sur is our preposition. Now we are referring to a feminine noun (la carte de noël).
Therefore, we need to connect sur to laquelle.
- Les sites web sur lesquels nous offrons des services éducationnels: The websites on which we offer educational services.
Sur is our preposition. We are referring to a masculine noun in the plural form un site web – des sites web.
We need to pick lesquels as our relative pronoun. (You can look at the picture in the beginning of this chapter if you have a hard time to differentiate between the different versions).
- Il faut choisir les manìeres par lesquelles tu souhaite être contacté: You must choose the ways in which you wish to be contacted.
Par is our preposition. We are referring to a feminine noun in the plural form une manière – des manières.
Now we need to pick the feminine plural version of lequel: lesquelles.
When lequel is an interrogative pronoun
What is the definition of an interrogative pronoun?
We used them to ask questions. In this case, when lequel is an interrogative pronoun, the English translation will be “which”.
It’s actually easier to explain with examples. Are you ready? 🙂
- A: J’ai acheté un pull: I bought a sweater.
- B: Lequel as-tu acheté?: Which one did you buy?
Person A states that he or she bought a sweater (un pull). Person B wants to know which sweater.
The correct relative pronoun is lequel. Why? Le pull is a masculine singular noun.
- A: Pouvez-vous me donner la couverture?: Can you give me the blanket?
- B: Laquelle?: Which one?
Now we are referring to a feminine noun – la couverture. Thus, we need to use a feminine interrogative pronoun – laquelle.
- A: Pouvez-vous m’apporter mes crayons ?: Can you bring me my pencils ?
- B: Lesquels?: Which ones?
We are referring to more than one pencil. Un stylo is a masculine noun. Thus, we’ll choose lesquels.
But, how do we know that stylo is a masculine noun?
Unfortunately, we need to learn the gender of every noun. I suggest that you always learn the gender when learning new nouns/words.
- A: J’aimeras acheter des roses: I would like to buy some rose.
- B: Combien des roses et lesquelles?: How many and which ones?
We need to use lesquelles for nouns that are feminine and in the plural form.
Une rose – des roses.
Grammatical explanation
When will we use lequel and its different versions?
- To introduce a relative clause by using a preposition.
- It will replace the COI (complement d’objet indirect)
Ok, this might sound difficult in theory. It’s easier in practice.
Let’s go back to basics, what is a relative clause?
Look at this phrase:
- Mon ami, qui veut réaliser ses rêves, ne veut pas travailler durement: My friend, who wants to achieve his dreams, does not want to work hard.
The text in bold represents a relative clause. It represents the link to the main clause.
In this example, we haven’t added a preposition to introduce our relative clause.
However, we need to do so in order to use lequel.
The prepositions will replace the COI (complement d’objet indirect).
Do you remember the definition of COI and COD?
- COI: Je réponds à la lettre (We use à preposition to introduce something)
- COD: J’attends le bus (We don’t need a preposition to introduce something)
So, let’s rewrite the phrase with the COI:
- La lettre à laquelle j’ai repondu: The letter to which I responded
However, we will not use lequel after the preposition de. In this case, we’ll use duquel instead. (I will write an article on this shortly)
Why these relative pronouns are important
In this article, we’ve explored the connection between these relative pronouns and the English language. We’ve seen the translations, and the grammatical difference between feminine and masculine nouns.
You are probably reading this article because you want to master every facet of the French grammar.
However, these pronouns have actually helped me when speaking French. Have you ever experienced getting stuck when speaking?
The best remedy for this (in my opinion) is to have different way of saying things. Lequel and its different versions represent an important toolbox.
For instance, let’s say that I forgot my bag in the car. My keys are in the bag. To express this in French, I could for instance say:
- J’ai oublié mon sac dans la voiture, mes clés sont là-dedans: I’ve forgot my bag in the car, my keys are in there.
It was easy to write this sentence. However, I might find it more difficult in a conversation. Lequel provides me with a different way of saying the same thing:
- J’ai oublié mon sac dans lequel sont mes clés: I’ve forgot my bag in which my keys are.
This is probably not the best way of describing my problem. However, the message is pretty clear. I might have to mention that the keys are in my car, but I still get my point across.
I know from personal experience that it’s very important to have different ways of saying things. You can try to memorize some of the most important prepositions:
- Sur
- Avec
- Dans
- Sans
These prepositions are linked to lequel. You can try to develop your phrase with them when you get stuck.
Pronunciation
I’ve just mentioned that these relative pronouns can help us when we get stuck in conversations.
In order to so, we need to know their pronunciation.
- Lequel
- Laquelle
- Lesquels
- Lesquelles
3 and 4 are pronounced in the same way.
It can be difficult to think of the right version of lequel in a conversation.
We have to know if we are referring to a noun in the masculine-, feminine- or plural form.
My only advice on this matter is to learn the pronunciation correctly. Learning if a noun is in the feminine- or masculine form takes time.
Où
Où is a fairly common preposition. It can usually replace the need for lequel. For instance:
- C’est le pays dans lequel j’ai passé mon enfance: It’s the country where (in which) I spent my childhood.
- C’est le pays où j’ai passé mon enfance: It’s the country where I spend my childhood.
It’s always important to have different ways of saying things, just like I elaborated on in the previous chapter. However, when it comes to où, it’s usually easier to just skip lequel.
This is why I have not included this preposition in the exercises.
