Breakdown of Les outils avec lesquels je finis le travail sont sur la commode.
je
I
être
to be
sur
on
avec
with
finir
to finish
le travail
the job
l'outil
the tool (m)
lequel
which (masculine singular, feminine laquelle, plural lesquels, lesquelles)
la commode
the chest of drawers
Questions & Answers about Les outils avec lesquels je finis le travail sont sur la commode.
Why is it lesquels here and not just lequel?
Could I use qui instead of lesquels after avec?
No, because les outils are objects. When a relative pronoun follows a simple preposition like avec, sur, or pour and refers to a thing, you must use a form of lequel. You can only use qui after a preposition if you are referring to a person (for example, l'homme avec qui).
In English, I might say 'The tools I am finishing the work with'. Can I put avec at the end of the sentence in French?
No, you can never end a French clause with a preposition. Unlike English, French grammar strictly requires the preposition to stay right in front of the relative pronoun it belongs to. That is why it must be avec lesquels (with which).
Is la commode a false friend? Does it mean a toilet?
Yes, it is a classic false friend! In French, une commode is a chest of drawers or a dresser. If you need a toilet, you would look for les toilettes.
Why does finis have an 's' at the end here?
Finir is a regular -ir verb. In the present tense, the je and tu forms always end in -s, making it je finis. You might be thinking of the past participle fini (as in j'ai fini), but this sentence is describing an action happening right now.
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