Quel or lequel? Ask “which” and “which one” in French
Compare quel with lequel using clothes, colours and sizes. See all eight forms, make a choice in a shop and test singular and plural agreement.
In short
Use quel with a noun: Quel pull préfères-tu ? Use lequel when the noun is understood: Lequel préfères-tu ? Both agree with the item you ask about: quelle jupe becomes laquelle.
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What is the difference between quel and lequel?
Quelle veste ?Which jacket?
Focus: The noun appears in the question.
quel / quelle / quels / quelles + nom
Quelle veste voulez-vous essayer ?
Which jacket would you like to try on?
Laquelle ?Which one?
Focus: The conversation has already identified the jackets.
lequel / laquelle / lesquels / lesquelles
Voici deux vestes. Laquelle voulez-vous essayer ?
Here are two jackets. Which one would you like to try on?
| Item | With the noun | Noun understood |
|---|---|---|
| un pull | quel pull | lequel |
| une veste | quelle veste | laquelle |
| des pulls | quels pulls | lesquels |
| des vestes | quelles vestes | lesquelles |
Two jackets on display can still produce a singular question: Laquelle veux-tu ? asks you to choose one. Lesquelles veux-tu ? asks for several. Agreement follows the selection, so the number of objects on display does not decide the form by itself.
Four things you can choose
Name the clothes, then ask which one
Find:
- Vendeuse
Quelle veste voulez-vous essayer ?
Which jacket would you like to try on?
- Client
La verte ou la bleue ?
The green one or the blue one?
- Vendeuse
Les deux sont à votre taille.
Both are your size.
- Client
Alors, je vais essayer la verte.
Then I’ll try on the green one.
How do you use auquel and duquel?
À quel atelier participes-tu ? Auquel participes-tu ?
Which workshop are you taking part in? Which one are you taking part in?
Participer à keeps à. With the noun, use à quel atelier; with the pronoun, à + lequel becomes auquel. Feminine singular stays separate: à laquelle.
You will also meet quel with être: Quelle est votre taille ? asks “What is your size?” Here the noun follows the verb. For an ordinary object choice, begin with the clear pair quelle veste / laquelle.