auxquels

Auxquels is a French relative pronoun used after the preposition à to introduce a relative clause that refers to a plural antecedent. It is the masculine plural form of the lequel family when the relation is established by à, and it points to a group or collection mentioned earlier in the sentence. The feminine plural counterpart is auxquelles or à lesquelles, depending on style; the singular forms are lequel (masc sing) and laquelle (fem sing) when the preposition is à.

Formation and forms

- Singular: auquel (masc), à laquelle (fem).

- Plural masculine: auxquels or auxquels.

- Plural feminine: auxquelles or auxquelles.

The choice between the contracted single-word forms (auxquels/auxquelles) and the two-word forms (à lesquels/à lesquelles) varies by register and emphasis, but both convey the same grammatical relationship.

Usage

Auxquels introduces a clause that gives more information about a preceding noun phrase and is linked to that phrase by the preposition à. It can refer to people or things, especially when the antecedent is a plural noun or noun phrase. In everyday speech, people often use simpler relative constructions with qui or que for people, but après certaines verbs or contexts requiring a formal link to a specific preposition, auxquels is preferred.

Examples

- Ce sont les livres auxquels nous avons pensé. (to which we have thought)

- Ce sont les idées auxquelles nous pensons. (to which we think)

Notes

Auxquels belongs to a family of preposition + relative pronoun combinations and parallels other forms like auquel, auxquels, et al. Its exact spelling (single word vs two words) can vary with style, but the meaning remains the same.