Breakdown of La commode sur laquelle elle pose la lampe est lourde.
être
to be
elle
she
sur
on
lourd
heavy
la lampe
the lamp
lequel
which (masculine singular, feminine laquelle, plural lesquels, lesquelles)
poser
to put down / to place (set on a surface)
la commode
the chest of drawers
Questions & Answers about La commode sur laquelle elle pose la lampe est lourde.
Why do we use laquelle here instead of lequel?
laquelle is the feminine singular form of the relative pronoun lequel. It has to match the noun it refers back to, which is La commode (a feminine singular noun).
Why can't I just say sur que or sur qui for 'on which'?
Could I translate 'puts' using met instead of pose?
Yes, you could use met (from mettre, to put). However, poser is a great choice here because it specifically means to set down or place something on a surface, which fits perfectly with putting a lamp on a piece of furniture.
Why is there an e at the end of lourde?
In English we often say 'The chest of drawers she puts the lamp on'. Can I leave sur at the end in French?
No, you can never leave a preposition dangling at the end of a sentence or clause in French. You must always put the preposition before the relative pronoun, just like the more formal English 'on which'.
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