French grammar · Upper intermediate (B2)
Lequel, auquel, duquel: relative pronouns after a preposition
How to say “which” after a preposition with lequel, laquelle, auquel and duquel, when to use qui or dont instead, and la raison pour laquelle.
Lequel after a preposition
After a preposition (…), the relative pronoun for a thing is a form of . It agrees with the noun it refers to: , (the reason why I came), (the tools I work with).
For people, is more common after a preposition: . is also possible for people, but it sounds more formal.
| Form | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| singular | ||
| plural |
Auquel: à + lequel
joins with the masculine and plural forms: + = , + = , + = . doesn't change. Use them with verbs and phrases that take : , , .
- C'est un projet auquel je pense depuis longtemps.It's a plan I've been thinking about for a long time.
- Les pistes grâce auxquelles on traversera la ville…The lanes thanks to which we'll cross the town…
- C'est une question à laquelle je ne peux pas répondre.It's a question I can't answer.
Duquel: de + lequel, or dont?
joins with the masculine and plural forms: , , ; doesn't change. They are used after longer prepositions that end in : . (a street at the end of which there is a school).
After a verb or phrase with a plain (), use , as you learnt in B1: , not .
| After… | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a plain | ||
| … | … | |
| another preposition | … |