Kilo Lingo
French grammar Part of Chapter 16

CEFR A1-B1

4 min read

Test yourself (23 questions)

French quel vs lequel: Which and Which One, with Charts

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

French splits which into two words. sits in front of a noun; replaces and the noun together. Both agree with the noun in gender and number.

masculinefemininepluralWhat do the colours mean?
Before a nounStanding alone
Masc. sg.
Fem. sg.
Masc. pl. lesquels
Fem. pl. lesquelles

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Quel est or qu'est-ce que? Choose the start of the question.

  1. ton adresse ? (What is your address?)

  2. tu veux ? (What do you want?)

  3. ton numéro ? (What is your number?)

The dividing line is the noun. ? - Which book do you want? Once the book is known, the noun goes and takes its place: . - ? - I want a book. - Which one?

quel: which, before a noun

asks which or what in front of a noun and copies its gender and number, like any adjective.

  • ? - Which book do you want?
  • ? - What time is it?
  • ? - Which films have you seen?
  • - ? - Which colours do you prefer?

All four forms sound the same, except for the z of before a vowel: . So the agreement is a writing skill: find the noun, check its gender, then spell .

With , comes first and its noun after the verb. It still agrees with that noun:

  • ? - What is your favourite film?
  • ? - What is the difference?

Quel est or qu'est-ce que?

quel, before a nounqu'est-ce que, before a verbWhat do the colours mean?

English uses what for both; French splits on what comes next. A noun takes ; a verb takes or .

After whatFrenchEnglish
is + a noun ?What is your address?
is + a noun ?What is your number?
a verb ?What do you want?
a verb, subject ?What's happening?

A rough test: if the English what could become which, French wants . ? is the classic slip. Asking for a definition is the exception: ? - What is a museum?

Exclamations: quelle surprise !

The same makes an exclamation, English what a.... French has no article here.

  • ! - What a pity!
  • ! - What a surprise!
  • ! - What a good idea!
  • ! - What beautiful colours!

English says what a surprise; French says , never .

lequel: which one

masculinefemininepluralWhat do the colours mean?

is fused with the definite article: + . It replaces + noun, so it stands alone, and it agrees with the noun it replaces.

FormReplacesExample
a noun - ? - Which one are you taking?
a noun - ? - Which one do you prefer?
lesquelsmasc. pluralLesquels ? - Which ones do you want?
lesquellesfem. pluralLesquelles - ? - Which ones do you like?
  • . - ? - Here are two trains. Which one are you taking?
  • . ? - I have two dresses. Which one is prettier?

Unlike , you can mostly hear agree: the , or inside it is spoken, so , and lesquels all sound different (only lesquels and lesquelles sound alike). The same forms link clauses ( , the pen I write with); that use is on relative pronouns after a preposition.

auquel, duquel: lequel after à and de

à or de fused with the articleWhat do the colours mean?

contracts with and exactly as the article does (à + = , + = ). The feminine singular never contracts.

PiecesWith àWith de
+ auquelduquel
+
+ lesquelsauxquelsdesquels
+ lesquellesauxquellesdesquelles

The verb decides the preposition: (think about) gives auquel, (talk about) and (need) give duquel.

  • Auquel - ? - Which one are you thinking about? ( )
  • - ? - Which one are you thinking about? ( question)
  • Duquel - ? - Which one are you talking about? ( )
  • Desquels ? - Which ones do you need? ( )

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
? ? is
! !no article in exclamations
? ? never takes a noun
?Auquel ?à + contracts
? ?alone, which one is

What to do next

  1. Ask three what is questions with or .
  2. Answer with the right form of , then with .
  3. For the rest of the question system, read French question words.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/7

Which form of quel goes in front of each noun?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Pick the right one

0/4

Quel est or qu'est-ce que? Choose the start of the question.

  1. ton adresse ? (What is your address?)

  2. tu veux ? (What do you want?)

  3. ton numéro ? (What is your number?)

  4. la différence ? (What is the difference?)

Complete the story

0/3

Choose the right word for each gap.

In the shop

Je voudrais acheter une robe. - ? La rouge ou la bleue ? - La rouge. - Et taille faites-vous ? - Du 38. - Voilà. jolie couleur !

Gap 1 of 3

Spot the mistake

0/5

Tap the mistake.

Pick the right one

0/4

Choose the right form of lequel.

  1. Voici deux trains. prends-tu ? (which one?)

  2. J'ai trois robes. préfères-tu ? (which one?)

  3. Voici les livres. veux-tu ? (which ones?)

  4. penses-tu ? (penser à + le projet)

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between and in French?
is an adjective: it sits in front of a noun and agrees with it. ? (Which book do you want?) is a pronoun: it replaces + noun once the noun is known. . - ? (Which one?) So needs a noun beside it, and takes its place. Both agree: , , , and , , lesquels, lesquelles.
How does agree in French?
With the noun it asks about, in gender and number: , , , . All four sound the same except in before a vowel ( ), so the agreement is mostly a writing skill. The same forms make exclamations, !, and ask 'what is...?': ?
What are auquel and duquel in French?
joined to à or , the way à + becomes . À + is auquel, à + lesquels auxquels, à + lesquelles auxquelles. + is duquel, + lesquels desquels, + lesquelles desquelles. The feminine singular never contracts: à , . The verb decides the preposition: à gives auquel - ?, gives duquel - ?
How do you say 'what' in a French question?
It depends on what follows. Before a noun, or + a noun, use : ? (what book?), ? (what is your address?). Before a verb, use or : ? or ? (what do you want?). is what as the subject: ? (what's happening?)