Question

French Mini-Tutorial: Prepositions with Interrogatives

Answer 1

\({\bf{Interrogatives:}}\) qui and quoi

use qui (for people) and quoi (for objects/things) after a preposition

example:

À qui parles-tu? (To whom are you talking?)
Avec qui allez-vous? (With whom are you going?)
De quoi ont-ils peur? (What are they scared of?)

Answer 2

\({\bf{Interrogatives:}}\) lequel

Lequel (sing. masc.) is similar to "which one?". Use this when you are referring to something that has already been made clear from context.
Laquell (sing. fem.)
Lesquels (plural masc.)
Lesquelles (plural fem.)

examples:
Dans quel parc allez-vous?
- Lequel? (which one?)

Je vais à l'université
I go to university.
- Laquelle? (which one?)

Lesquels achetez-vous? (which ones are you buying?)

Answer 3

cont:

with de and à, with laquel, laquels, and laquelles

- de + laquel --> duquel
- des + lesquels --> desquels
- des + laquelles --> desquelles
- à + laquel --> auquel
- àu + laquels --> auxquels
- à + lesquelles --> auxquelles

note that laquelle does not have this contraction (use de laquelle or à laquelle, as appropriate)

ex:
Je pense à quelques activités (I'm thinking about a few activities)
- Desquels penses-tu? (Which ones are you thinking about?)

Je vais à quelques cours. (I'm going to a few classes)
- Auxquels vas-tu? (To which ones are you going?)

Answer 4

\({\bf{References:}}\)

Rochester, Myrna B. Easy French Step-by-Step, United States, McGraw-Hill Education, 2009, 122-125.

CollinsDictionary for French and English translations

Forvo (https://forvo.com/), a French pronunciation database with samples from native French speakers