Published June 18, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson, teaching French online since 2014
French interrogative pronouns are lequel, laquelle, lesquels, and lesquelles and mean which one? or which ones?. They replace a noun rather than modifying it and must agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.
French interrogative pronouns chart
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | lequel (which one?) | laquelle (which one?) |
| Plural | lesquels (which ones?) | lesquelles (which ones?) |
The basic rule
French interrogative pronouns replace a noun and are used when choosing between two or more people or things. They agree with the gender and number of the noun they refer to.
J’ai deux livres. Lequel veux-tu ?
I have two books. Which one do you want?
Voici deux voitures. Laquelle préfères-tu ?
Here are two cars. Which one do you prefer?
J’ai plusieurs hôtels à te recommander. Lesquels t’intéressent ?
I have several hotels to recommend. Which ones interest you?
Lequel
Use lequel to refer to a masculine singular noun.
J’ai deux livres pour toi. Lequel veux-tu ?
I have two books for you. Which one do you want?
Lequel de ces films veux-tu regarder ?
Which one of these movies do you want to watch?
Laquelle
Use laquelle to refer to a feminine singular noun.
Voici deux options. Laquelle préférez-vous ?
Here are two options. Which one do you prefer?
Laquelle de ces voitures est la plus rapide ?
Which one of these cars is the fastest?
Lesquels
Use lesquels to refer to masculine plural nouns.
J’ai plusieurs livres. Lesquels veux-tu emprunter ?
I have several books. Which ones do you want to borrow?
Parmi ces hôtels, lesquels recommandes-tu ?
Among these hotels, which ones do you recommend?
Lesquelles
Use lesquelles to refer to feminine plural nouns.
Ces chaussures sont jolies. Lesquelles préfères-tu ?
These shoes are nice. Which ones do you prefer?
Parmi ces villes, lesquelles veux-tu visiter ?
Among these cities, which ones do you want to visit?
Lequel with de
Interrogative pronouns are often followed by de when choosing from a specific group.
Lequel de ces deux romans veux-tu lire ?
Which one of these two novels do you want to read?
Laquelle de ces robes préfères-tu ?
Which one of these dresses do you prefer?
Lesquels de ces hôtels sont les moins chers ?
Which of these hotels are the least expensive?
Common expressions
Lequel est le meilleur ?
Which one is the best?
Laquelle est la plus intéressante ?
Which one is the most interesting?
Lesquels sont disponibles ?
Which ones are available?
Lesquelles sont les plus populaires ?
Which ones are the most popular?
Contracted forms
The prepositions à and de contract with lequel and its forms.
| Base Form | With à | With de |
|---|---|---|
| lequel (which one) | auquel (to which one) | duquel (of which one / from which one) |
| laquelle (which one) | à laquelle (to which one) | de laquelle (of which one / from which one) |
| lesquels (which ones) | auxquels (to which ones) | desquels (of which ones / from which ones) |
| lesquelles (which ones) | auxquelles (to which ones) | desquelles (of which ones / from which ones) |
Examples
Auquel de ces cours es-tu inscrit ?
Which of these courses are you enrolled in?
Duquel de ces hôtels parles-tu ?
Which of these hotels are you talking about?
Auxquelles de ces universités as-tu postulé ?
Which of these universities did you apply to?
Summary
- lequel → masculine singular (which one?)
- laquelle → feminine singular (which one?)
- lesquels → masculine plural (which ones?)
- lesquelles → feminine plural (which ones?)
📚 Related lessons
- French interrogative adjectives
- Interrogative pronouns qui and que
- French possessive adjectives
- French demonstrative adjectives
- French demonstrative pronouns
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