French · Chapter 16 · Lesson 15 · Grammar primer
Quel and lequel
quel as the interrogative adjective that agrees with its noun (Quelle heure ?), lequel as the pronoun that replaces quel + noun (Lequel ?), and the auquel / duquel contractions.
The short version
Quel needs a noun, lequel replaces one
The test is whether a noun follows. Quel is an adjective and lives beside its noun: quel livre veux-tu. Lequel is a pronoun and stands alone once the noun is understood: je veux un livre, lequel? Lequel livre and a bare Quel? are both impossible.
Lequel préfères-tu?
What is plus a noun wants quel est
If what is followed by a noun, French reaches for quel est, not qu'est-ce que. Quelle est ton adresse, quel est ton numéro, quelle est la capitale de la France. Save qu'est-ce qui and qu'est-ce que for when a verb follows: qu'est-ce qui s'est passé?
Quelle est ton adresse?
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