Question 1

Why use laquelle instead of qui for "which"?

Accepted Answer

This is to avoid ambiguity! If you used qui, as in la figurine du dragon qui est rouge, the listener would likely assume qui refers to the closest noun, le dragon, meaning the dragon itself is red. By using the feminine singular laquelle, it clearly points all the way back to la figurine.

Question 2

If I actually wanted to say the dragon is red, could I use lequel?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could say lequel est rouge to match the masculine singular dragon. However, using qui (qui est rouge) is much more natural when referring to the immediately preceding noun. You generally only use lequel or laquelle as subjects when you need to skip over a closer noun to avoid confusion.

Question 3

Why does the speaker use the pronoun la and then immediately name la figurine?

Accepted Answer

This is a very common conversational habit in French called "dislocation." The speaker gives the core command quickly using pronouns (Donne-la-lui), and then tacks the specific noun phrase (la figurine du dragon) onto the end of the sentence to clarify exactly what la refers to.

Question 4

Why is the pronoun order Donne-la-lui instead of Donne-lui-la?

Accepted Answer

In affirmative commands, direct object pronouns (le, la, les) always come before indirect object pronouns (moi, toi, lui, nous, vous, leur). So "give it to him" translates strictly to Donne-la-lui. Notice also that in affirmative commands, all pronouns are attached to the verb and to each other with hyphens.

Donne-la-lui, la figurine du dragon, laquelle est rouge !

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