Lequel, Dont
Here is the video
4. Relative Pronouns as Indirect Objects for THINGS
Lequel agrees in gender with the noun it is related to: Le bureau sur lequel vous avez posé le livre
(bureau is masculine, so the relative pronoun too)
| lequel | masculine | feminine |
|---|---|---|
| singular | lequel | laquelle |
| plural | lesquels | lesquelles |
The flower about which I am thinking: la fleur à laquelle je pense
Lequel gots contractions when used with the prepositions “à” and “de”
| à+lequel | masculine | feminine |
|---|---|---|
| singular | auquel | à laquelle |
| plural | auxquels | auxquelles |
| de+lequel | ||
| singular | duquel | de laquelle |
| plural | desquels | desquelles |
You need to know the French phrasal verbs to know that here the preposition is “à”: penser à (to think about)
L’arbre près duquel je suis tombé: the tree near which I fell
Près de = near, so the preposition is “de”.
With the preposition “de”, we have two relative pronouns: duquel and dont
Duquel is for things and animals
Dont is for people, things and animals
So, when the preposition “de” is for someone, we use “dont” and when we have the choice (because it is about things or animals) we also use “dont”. As you can see, “duquel” is not used a lot.
So, “dont” is the translation of “whose”, because “whose” is “of who” or “of which”:
Look at my friend whose uncle (uncle of whom) is a journalist: Regardez mon ami dont l’oncle est journaliste.
We use “duquel”, when the preposition “de” is part of a bigger expression like “près de: near”, “au bout de: at the end of”, “au sujet de: about”, “au milieu de, in the middle of”…
Please, watch the video for more examples.
Relative Pronouns, part I and II
| QUI | People, Animals, Things The pronoun is subject (so no preposition) | People Indirect Object (preposition) |
| QUE | People, Animals, Things Direct Object (no preposition) | |
| LEQUEL | Animals, Things Indirect Object Preposition Don't forget the contractions with "à" and "de" | Duquel is used when "de" is part of an expression |
| DONT | People, Animals, Things When the preposition "de" is alone. |
With this table, you will quickly know which French pronoun to use if you are able to say if in English, it is a subject, a direct object …
| People / | People, Animals, Things / | Animals, Things | |
| Subject | QUI | ||
| Direct Object (no preposition) | QUE | ||
| Indirect Object (preposition) | QUI | DONT (only with "de") | LEQUEL Duquel for expressions with "de" |
Thank you ,you are a great teacher!!
merci pour les nouveaux leçons.i have learned French the right way thru your site.Keep it up!
merci pour les nouveaux leçons
Thank you very much! You are such a great teacher! You’ve been very helpful to me 🙂 Continue what you are doing! 🙂
Wow! Thank you so much you’re vidoes are exptremely helpful..Please post more!!!
You are a great teacher. I have an exam tomorrow and the distinction between relative pronouns is vital…after 4 years of French I finally know the rules!! Cannot thank you enough!
Merci beaucoup monsieur. Your teaching is very clear. You make grammar simple to understand. Your voice is pleasant and your style very gentle. J’apprends le français depuis ma chambre. I`m from Chennai, India. I enjoy watching slides with you !
I would like to do some exercises on these relative pronouns. SEARCHING….can’t find any.
okay, I found some….but wish there was more
Bonjour Pascal ! Is that OK if I say “La table que vous avez mis les assiettes” instead of “sûr laquelle” ? Merci.