Breakdown of Donne-lui un frein, n'importe lequel.
un
a / an (masculine)
lui
him / to him / to her (indirect object)
donner
to give
le frein
the brake
Questions & Answers about Donne-lui un frein, n'importe lequel.
Does Donne-lui un frein mean "give him a break" (as in "cut him some slack")?
No, this is a trap caused by English homophones! A frein is a literal physical "brake" (like on a bicycle or a car). To say "give him a break" in the sense of being lenient, you'd use a phrase like Sois indulgent avec lui or the informal Lâche-lui la grappe. If you mean a break to rest, you'd use une pause.
Why do we use n'importe lequel here instead of n'importe quoi?
N'importe quoi means "anything" in a general, abstract sense. Here, you aren't saying "give him anything in the world," you are saying "give him any one (out of a specific category of items)." When "any" refers back to a specific noun—in this case, un frein—you must use n'importe followed by a form of lequel.
How do I know whether to use lequel, laquelle, or lesquels?
Why use lui instead of le, and why is there a hyphen?