Breakdown of Les coussins sur lesquels nous dormons sont très doux.
être
to be
sur
on
très
very
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
dormir
to sleep
doux
soft / gentle
lequel
which (masculine singular, feminine laquelle, plural lesquels, lesquelles)
le coussin
the cushion
Questions & Answers about Les coussins sur lesquels nous dormons sont très doux.
Why do we use lesquels here instead of lequel?
The relative pronoun lequel has to agree in gender and number with the noun it replaces. Here, it refers back to Les coussins, which is masculine plural, so it becomes lesquels. We use these forms after simple prepositions like sur to mean "on which".
Could we use où in this sentence instead of sur lesquels?
Can I translate "The cushions we sleep on" directly and put sur at the end of the clause?
No, French never allows a "hanging" preposition at the end of a sentence or clause like we do in everyday English. The preposition must always immediately precede the relative pronoun, which is why it must be structured as sur lesquels (on which).
Why is the adjective doux spelled with an 'x' here? Is it plural?
Learn Les coussins sur lesquels nous dormons sont très doux and more in French
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free