Breakdown of Le sablier de la boîte, lequel est cassé, est petit.
être
to be
petit
small / short
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
la boîte
the box, a can
casser
to break
lequel
which (masculine singular, feminine laquelle, plural lesquels, lesquelles)
le sablier
the hourglass
cassé
broken
Questions & Answers about Le sablier de la boîte, lequel est cassé, est petit.
Why use lequel here instead of qui?
In French, the relative pronoun qui usually refers to the noun immediately preceding it. If the sentence used qui, it might initially sound like the box is broken. By using lequel (masculine singular), it is crystal clear that the relative clause modifies the masculine noun le sablier (the hourglass), not the feminine noun la boîte (the box).
Could we have just used qui anyway, since cassé is masculine and wouldn't agree with boîte?
Grammatically, using qui followed by the masculine cassé would technically point back to le sablier. However, using lequel is a deliberate choice that removes all ambiguity the moment the word is read or spoken, before the listener even hears the adjective. This is a common and elegant way to make sentences instantly clear in French.
What if the box was broken instead of the hourglass? How would the sentence change?
Why are there commas around lequel est cassé?
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