Connecting Ideas with Prepositions: Lequel
In English, we often end sentences with prepositions, like saying "the sofa you sleep on" or "the tools I work with". In French, you cannot end a sentence with a preposition. Instead, you must keep the preposition and use the relative pronoun lequel (which).
This creates phrases that literally translate to "the sofa on which you sleep" or "the tools with which I work".
| The sofa on which you finish your book is comfortable. | Le canapé sur lequel tu finis ton livre est confortable. |
Gender and Number Agreement
Because lequel refers back to a specific noun, its form must change to match that noun's gender and number.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | lequel | lesquels |
| Feminine | laquelle | lesquelles |
Notice how the pronoun changes depending on whether it replaces a masculine noun or a feminine noun (like l'étagère, the shelf).
| Here is the shelf on which I put a lot of books. | Voici l'étagère sur laquelle je pose beaucoup de livres. |
| The cushions on which we sleep are very soft. | Les coussins sur lesquels nous dormons sont très doux. |
Other Simple Prepositions
You will use these same forms of lequel after other simple prepositions to describe exactly where things are or what they are used for, such as dans (in), pour (for), and avec (with).
| Here is the vase in which she puts the flowers. | Voici le vase dans lequel elle met les fleurs. |
| It is the bathroom for which I bought a mirror. | C'est la salle de bain pour laquelle j'ai acheté un miroir. |
| The frames with which I am decorating the living room are old. | Les cadres avec lesquels je décore le salon sont anciens. |