Question 1

Why use lequel here instead of qui?

Accepted Answer

When a relative clause comes right after two nouns—here, jeu and sœur—using qui can create confusion about which noun is the subject. By using lequel, which is strictly masculine singular, it immediately points back to le jeu rather than ma sœur.

Question 2

But since nouveau is masculine, wouldn't qui est nouveau also prove we are talking about the game?

Accepted Answer

You are absolutely right! Because nouveau is masculine, the reader or listener would eventually figure out that the pronoun refers to the game (since a sister would be nouvelle). However, using lequel is a formal, precise way to remove all ambiguity the instant you say the pronoun, rather than making the person wait for the adjective to solve the puzzle.

Question 3

Are the commas around lequel est nouveau strictly necessary?

Accepted Answer

Yes. This is a non-restrictive clause, meaning it just adds bonus information about the game rather than identifying which specific game we mean. When using lequel as a bare subject to mean "which", it is generally restricted to these comma-separated extra clauses in French.

Question 4

Just to review, why do we use nouveau here instead of nouvel?

Accepted Answer

Both are masculine singular, but nouvel is only used directly in front of a noun that starts with a vowel or mute H (like un nouvel ami). Because the adjective here stands alone after the verb est, it defaults to the standard masculine form nouveau.

Le jeu coopératif de ma sœur, lequel est nouveau, est excellent.

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