Français — Interrogative quel / lequel

Use quel before a noun to ask “which/what”, and lequel as a pronoun to replace the noun. Both agree in gender and number: Quel livre ? — Lequel ?

How it works

✓ Rule

quel is an adjective placed before a noun: Quel âge as-tu ? / Quelle heure est-il ? / Quels films aimes-tu ? / Quelles langues parles-tu ? The pronoun lequel stands in for a known noun: Voici deux robes — laquelle préfères-tu ? With à and de it contracts: auquel, duquel, auxquels, desquelles.

Forms

quel (adjective) and lequel (pronoun) by gender and number
Gender / number	Adjective quel	Pronoun lequel
Masculine singular	quel (quel train ?)	lequel
Feminine singular	quelle (quelle rue ?)	laquelle
Masculine plural	quels (quels amis ?)	lesquels
Feminine plural	quelles (quelles idées ?)	lesquelles
Contraction with à	—	auquel, à laquelle, auxquels, auxquelles
Contraction with de	—	duquel, de laquelle, desquels, desquelles

Good to know

⚠ Note

Don’t confuse quel (adjective, always with a noun: Quel jour ?) with lequel (pronoun, alone: Lequel ?). Also note the identical pronunciation of quel, quelle, quels, quelles — the difference is only spelling and must agree with the noun: Quelle heure est-il ?, not Quel heure.