Compound Relative Pronouns

In French, compound relative pronouns (les pronoms relatifs composés) are used to introduce relative clauses that provide additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence. In this lesson, we will explore the various compound relative pronouns and their usage.

1. "Lequel" "Laquelle," "Lesquels," and "Lesquelles":

• "Lequel" is a compound relative pronoun used to refer to a previously mentioned noun, particularly when the noun is preceded by a preposition.

• Variants include "laquelle," "lesquels," and "lesquelles," which agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.

• Compound relative pronouns (Lequel - Laquelle - Lesquels - Lesquelles) are used after prepositions such as:
  

  Sur	On
  Avec	With
  Sans	Without
  Pour	For, to
  Sous	Under
  Dans	In
  Chez	At
  Par	By

Examples:

• Le livre sur lequel je travaille. (The book on which I'm working).
• La ville dans laquelle j'habite. (The city in which I live).
• C'est le bureau sur lequel je mets mon ordinateur. (This is the desk on which I put my computer.)
• L’entreprise pour laquelle je travaille est française. (The company I work for is French.)
• Les stylos avec lesquels j'écris. (The pens with which I write.)
• Les chaises sur lesquelles nous sommes assise est très confortable. (The chairs on which we are sitting are very comfortable.)

2. "Duquel," "De laquelle," "Desquels," and "Desquelles":

• Compound relative pronouns (duquel - de laquelle - desquels - desquelles) are formed by combining the preposition (de) with the compound pronouns (Lequel - laquelle - Lesquels - Lesquelles). They agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.

• Compound relative pronouns (duquel - de laquelle- desquels - desquelles) are used with prepositional phrases (locution prépositive) such as:
  

  près de	close to
  loin de	far from
  à côté de	beside - next to
  à l’intérieur de	inside
  au centre de	in the center of

Examples: 

• La maison de laquelle je viens. (The house from which I come).

• Les enfants desquels je m'occupe. (The children I take care of).

• C’est un tableau au centre duquel on voit une grande maison. (It's a painting in the center of which we see a big house.)

• C'est une histoire à la fin de laquelle tout finit bien. (It's a story at the end of which everything ends well.)

•  Les vases à côté desquels tu as posé la table sont beaux. (The vases next to which you placed the table are beautiful.)

•  Les chaises au-dessous desquelles il y a un nouveau tapis. (The chairs under which there is a new carpet.)

3. "Auquel," "À laquelle," "Auxquels," and "Auxquelles":

• These compound relative pronouns are used when referring to a noun preceded by "à."

• They agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.

Examples: 

• Le parc auquel je vais souvent. (The park to which I often go).

• La personne à laquelle j'ai parlé. (The person to whom I spoke).

• C’est un sujet auquel je pense souvent. (This is a topic I often think about.)

• C'est l'idée à laquelle je crois. (This is the idea that I believe in.)

• Voici les droits auxquels tous les citoyens ont droit. (Here are the rights that all citizens are entitled to.)

• Les réunions auxquelles nous nous étions préparés ont été annulées. (The meetings we had prepared for were canceled.)

4. "Pour lequel," "Pour laquelle," "Pour lesquels," and "Pour lesquelles":

• These compound relative pronouns are used when referring to a noun preceded by "pour."

• They agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.

Examples: 

• Le projet pour lequel j'ai travaillé. (The project for which I worked).

• La raison pour laquelle je suis venu. (The reason for which I came).

Compound relative pronouns in French are essential for providing additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence, particularly when the noun is preceded by a preposition. Understanding and mastering the usage of these pronouns will enhance your ability to construct complex sentences and convey precise meaning in French. Practice using compound relative pronouns in various contexts to strengthen your language skills.