Breakdown of Voici le coffre sur lequel le cadenas est bloqué.
être
to be
sur
on
bloqué
stuck
voici
here is, this is
lequel
which (masculine singular, feminine laquelle, plural lesquels, lesquelles)
le coffre
the safe
le cadenas
the padlock
Questions & Answers about Voici le coffre sur lequel le cadenas est bloqué.
Why do we use sur lequel here instead of que or où?
The relative pronoun que translates to 'that' or 'which', but it cannot be used after a preposition like sur. While you can sometimes use où for locations, sur lequel is required when you want to specifically say 'on which' to describe a physical surface.
Since the current lesson is about the pronoun y, could I use y here instead of lequel?
No, because they do different jobs. The pronoun y is an object pronoun that replaces a phrase starting with à or a location inside a single clause (like j'y pense - I think about it). Here, sur lequel acts as a bridge linking two separate clauses ('Here is the safe' and 'the padlock is stuck on it').
Why is it lequel and not laquelle?
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