lequel

Lequel is a French pronoun and determiner used to express “which” in reference to a previously mentioned noun or to a noun joined by a preposition. It exists in four gendered and numbered forms: lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles. In combination with prepositions, the forms often contract or merge into compounds such as auquel, auxquels, auxquels, duquel, desquels, auquel, auxquels, de laquelle, desquelles, and so on. The word contrasts with quel, the interrogative adjective used before a noun.

In interrogation, lequel functions as a selected-question word when the noun is known from context. Examples: Lequel de ces romans as-tu lu ? Laquelle de ces chansons préfères-tu ? When the noun is plural, the pronoun may remain singular (Lequel) to refer to a masculine noun, or be adapted to the noun’s gender: Laquelle, Lesquels, Lesquelles.

In relative clauses, lequel serves as a relative pronoun after a preposition. It connects the antecedent with the clause: Le livre auquel je pense est vieux. Les idées auxquelles je pense viennent de lui. When the preposition is de, forms like duquel and desquels are used: Le compte duquel je parle. Don’t confuse dont, which replaces de + un antecedent; dont is often preferred in everyday usage: Le livre dont je parle est ancien.

Usage notes: lequel is common in formal style or to avoid ambiguity in complex sentences; in many situations, que or dont may be preferred for simplicity. The simple single-word form lequel is more common in writing than the two-word “le quel.”