As you review architectural blueprints and scale models for the new municipal library, you will often need to talk about a smaller group within a larger one (for example, "ten projects, three of which are great"). In French, the relative pronoun dont is perfect for this.
Subsets with Quantities
When you want to say "of which" or "of whom" to describe a specific portion of a group, use dont followed by a number or a quantity word. Watch how dont links a subset back to the main group:
| We have ten projects in the shortlist, three of which are very innovative. | Nous avons dix projets dans la présélection, dont trois sont très innovants. |
| We received twenty scale models, five of which are discarded. | Nous avons reçu vingt maquettes, dont cinq sont écartées. |
This works identically with broader expressions of quantity, such as la moitié (half) or beaucoup (many):
| This is the shortlist of the projects, half of which we are going to discard. | Ceci est la présélection des projets, dont nous allons écarter la moitié. |
| Must we choose the winner from these sketches, many of which ignore accessibility? | Est-ce que nous devons choisir le lauréat parmi ces croquis, dont beaucoup ignorent l'accessibilité ? |
Expressing Inclusion ("Including")
You can also use dont followed directly by a noun. In this structure, dont simply translates to "including." This is useful for giving specific examples from a broader category, like highlighting a building material or a key feature:
| The architect proposes new materials, including wood. | L'architecte propose de nouveaux matériaux, dont le bois. |
| The scale model has many advantages, including innovative lighting. | La maquette a beaucoup d'avantages, dont un éclairage innovant. |