📘 French Basic Grammar: Compound Relative Pronouns

In French, relative pronouns connect two sentences by replacing a noun and avoiding repetition (qui, que, dont, où).

But sometimes you need more precision — that’s when compound relative pronouns (les pronoms relatifs composés) are used.

They are especially useful in formal writing, literature, or advanced spoken French.

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1. What Are Compound Relative Pronouns?

👉 Compound relative pronouns are made of a preposition + the simple relative pronoun “lequel” (which one).

They are used when a relative pronoun is the object of a preposition (avec, pour, sur, dans, etc.).

Forms of lequel:

• lequel (masculine singular)

• laquelle (feminine singular)

• lesquels (masculine plural)

• lesquelles (feminine plural)

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2. Common Compound Relative Pronouns

Here are the most frequent ones:

• avec lequel → with which

• dans lequel → in which

• sur lequel → on which

• pour lequel → for which

• près duquel → near which

• par lequel → through which

They must agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.

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3. Examples in Sentences

• J’ai un sac dans lequel je mets mes affaires.
  → I have a bag in which I put my things.

• C’est une situation à laquelle je pense souvent.
  → It’s a situation I often think about.

• Voici les raisons pour lesquelles il est parti.
  → Here are the reasons for which he left.

• La maison dans laquelle elle habite est grande.
  → The house in which she lives is big.

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4. Special Cases with Prepositions à and de

When the preposition is à or de, the pronoun changes:

With à → auquel, à laquelle, auxquels, auxquelles

• Un sujet auquel je m’intéresse.
  → A subject that I am interested in.

With de → duquel, de laquelle, desquels, desquelles

• Une ville près de laquelle je vis.
  → A city near which I live.

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5. Compound vs Simple Relative Pronouns

• Simple relative pronoun:

  • La maison où j’habite est petite. → The house where I live is small.

• Compound relative pronoun (more formal):

  • La maison dans laquelle j’habite est petite.

👉 Both are correct, but compound forms are more formal and precise.

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6. ✅ Quick Recap

• Compound relative pronouns = preposition + lequel.

• They agree in gender and number with the noun.

• Use them when a preposition is needed before the relative pronoun.

• Forms: lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles.

• Special forms with à → auquel / de → duquel.

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7. 🎯 Practice Exercise

Fill in with the correct compound relative pronoun:

1. Voici la chaise ___ je me suis assis. (sur)

2. L’université ___ elle étudie est prestigieuse. (dans)

3. Le livre ___ je pense est intéressant. (à)

4. C’est un problème ___ nous avons parlé. (de)

5. Les raisons ___ il est parti sont claires. (pour)

Answers:

1. sur laquelle

2. dans laquelle

3. auquel

4. dont / duquel (formal)

5. pour lesquelles

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Conclusion

Compound relative pronouns in French (like dans lequel, sur laquelle, auquel, duquel) make sentences more precise and formal, especially in written French. While beginners can stick to simple pronouns like qui, que, où, dont, it’s important to recognize compound forms when you see them.

👉 Pro tip: Pay attention to the preposition in the first sentence — it will tell you which compound relative pronoun to use.

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TAGS: French compound relative pronouns, lequel laquelle lesquels lesquelles, French grammar relative clauses, French prepositions with pronouns, advanced French grammar for beginners