Lequel contractions with à and de

This grammar point is all about agreement. In French, every noun has a gender (masculine or feminine). It also has a number (singular or plural). The pronoun lequel is like a chameleon. It must change its color to match the noun it replaces. If you are talking about a masculine book (le livre), you use a masculine pronoun. If you talk about feminine chairs (les chaises), you use a feminine plural pronoun. When you add à or de, the pronoun transforms. It is a bit like a grammar smoothie—you blend the preposition and the pronoun together. This is essential for being precise. Without these contractions, your sentences would sound clunky and broken.

1. 1Creating these contractions follows a very logical path. Follow these steps to get it right every time:
2. 2Identify the gender and number of the noun you are replacing.
3. 3Choose the correct base form of lequel (lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles).
4. 4Check if your preposition is à or de.
5. 5For à + masculine singular: à + lequel = auquel.
6. 6For à + masculine plural: à + lesquels = auxquels.
7. 7For à + feminine plural: à + lesquelles = auxquelles.
8. 8For de + masculine singular: de + lequel = duquel.
9. 9For de + masculine plural: de + lesquels = desquels.
10. 10For de + feminine plural: de + lesquelles = desquelles.
11. 11Note: The feminine singular forms à laquelle and de laquelle do not contract. They stay as two separate words!

You use these contracted pronouns after specific verbs or phrases. Many French verbs require the preposition à or de. For example, the verb penser à (to think about). If you are talking about a project, you would say: "The project to which I am thinking" (Le projet auquel je pense). You also use them after prepositional phrases like à côté de (next to) or près de (near). Imagine giving directions: "The building next to which I live" (L'immeuble à côté duquel j'habite). It is very common in formal writing, job interviews, or when you want to be very specific about which object you are discussing. It makes you sound like a sophisticated speaker.

Do not use these pronouns for people if you can avoid it. For people, it is much more natural to use qui. Instead of l'ami auquel je parle, most French people say l'ami à qui je parle. It is simpler and less stiff. Also, do not use them if there is no preposition involved. If you just want to say "the one that," use qui or que. Finally, don't use them for general ideas. They are meant for specific nouns you have already mentioned. If you haven't named the object yet, lequel will just confuse your listener. Keep it simple when you can!

The most frequent trip-up is forgetting the gender of the noun. If you are talking about la table, you cannot use auquel. You must use à laquelle. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! Another common error is the spelling of the plural forms. People often forget the x in auxquels or the double l in desquelles. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Red means stop and check the gender. Green means you have the right agreement and can keep talking. Also, remember that dont is often a competitor for duquel. If you can use dont, it is usually easier, but duquel is required after phrases like à côté de.

You might wonder how this differs from dont. Both can mean "of which." However, dont is a general-purpose tool. Duquel (and its friends) is like a specialized screwdriver. You only use duquel when the preposition de is part of a longer phrase, like en face de (opposite). If the verb just uses a simple de (like parler de), dont is your best bet. Another contrast is with qui. While qui is for people, lequel is the king of objects. If you are talking about a hammer, use lequel. If you are talking about your brother, use qui. Choosing the right one shows you understand the "social hierarchy" of French grammar.