What does lequel mean in a question?

Which one. It replaces a noun the listener already knows: il y a deux clés, laquelle est la bonne ? The form changes with the noun, giving lequel, laquelle, lesquels and lesquelles.

Is it lequel or le quel?

Always lequel, one word. It is a fused form of le plus quel, which is why it also produces auquel, auxquels, duquel and desquels when a preposition is added.

What is the difference between quel and lequel?

Quel is an adjective and needs a noun after it: quel film ? Lequel is a pronoun and stands alone: lequel ? Before être with a following noun, French uses quel: quelle est la question ?

How do I ask which of these in French?

Lequel plus de and the group: lequel de ces livres, laquelle de ces deux options, lesquelles d'entre elles. Parmi is also possible and slightly more formal: parmi ces photos, lesquelles préfères-tu ?

Do I need to change lequel in an indirect question?

No. It stays exactly as it is: je ne sais pas lequel choisir, dis-moi laquelle tu préfères. That makes it easier than qu'est-ce que, which has to become ce que once it is embedded.

French grammar · Intermediate

Lequel as a Question Word: Which One in French

Written by Camille Laurent, Lead French Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Lequel is the interrogative pronoun that means which one. It replaces a noun already known from the conversation, agrees with it in gender and number, and is written as a single word — le quel as two words is not a form of it.

Il y a deux trains ce matin. Lequel prends-tu ?

There are two trains this morning. Which one are you taking?

What it is

When the noun has already been named and you only want to know which member of the set is meant, French uses lequel. It is built from the definite article plus quel, which is why it agrees like an adjective and contracts with à and de, but it behaves like a pronoun: nothing follows it except the verb or a de phrase naming the group.

J'ai deux propositions. Laquelle te paraît la meilleure ? — I have two suggestions. Which one seems best to you?

How to spot it

Check whether the noun appears in your question. If it does, you need quel and it modifies the noun. If it does not, you need lequel, and you have to pick the form that matches the noun you are leaving out.

Lequel préfères-tu ? — Which one do you prefer? (masculine singular)
Laquelle est la tienne ? — Which one is yours? (feminine singular)
Lesquels sont en solde ? — Which ones are on sale? (masculine plural)
Lesquelles as-tu choisies ? — Which ones did you choose? (feminine plural)

Lequel is always one word. The spelling le quel exists only as an accident of typing, and quel on its own can never stand without a noun.

Interrogative Pronoun Lequel Quick Reference

The forms of the interrogative lequel

Gender and number	Plain	With à / de
masculine singular	lequel	auquel / duquel
feminine singular	laquelle	à laquelle / de laquelle
masculine plural	lesquels	auxquels / desquels
feminine plural	lesquelles	auxquelles / desquelles
with the group named	lequel de …	Lequel de ces deux ?
as an adjective instead	quel + noun	Quel train ? — Which train?

Common Interrogative Pronoun Lequel Examples in French

Lequel asking which one across the four forms:

Choosing Between Named Options

Ces deux robes te vont bien. Laquelle achètes-tu ?: Both those dresses suit you. Which one are you buying?
Lequel de ces films as-tu vu ?: Which of these films have you seen?
Il y a plusieurs chemins. Lesquels sont balisés ?: There are several paths. Which ones are signposted?
Parmi ces photos, lesquelles préfères-tu ?: Of these photos, which ones do you prefer?

The group can be named with de, or simply understood from the previous sentence.

With À and De

Auquel de tes frères penses-tu ?: Which of your brothers are you thinking of?
Duquel de ces livres parlez-vous ?: Which of these books are you talking about?
À laquelle de ces adresses faut-il écrire ?: Which of these addresses should we write to?
Auxquelles de ces questions as-tu répondu ?: Which of these questions did you answer?

The verb's preposition decides: penser à gives auquel, parler de gives duquel. English strands the preposition at the end; French keeps it in front.

As Subject of the Question

Lequel te semble le plus sérieux ?: Which one strikes you as the most serious?
Laquelle a gagné ?: Which one won?
Lesquels manquent encore ?: Which ones are still missing?
Lequel des deux arrive le premier ?: Which of the two arrives first?

As a subject, lequel needs no inversion: the verb simply follows it, exactly as with qui.

In Indirect Questions

Je ne sais pas lequel choisir.: I don't know which one to choose.
Dis-moi laquelle tu veux.: Tell me which one you want.
Il hésite entre les deux et ne sait pas auquel se fier.: He can't decide between the two and doesn't know which to trust.
Peu importe lesquelles.: It doesn't matter which ones.

Unlike qu'est-ce que, lequel needs no adjustment when it is embedded: it keeps exactly the same form.

How the Interrogative Lequel Works

Agreement, contraction and one hard restriction: no noun may follow it.

It Agrees With the Noun It Replaces

Lequel carries the gender and number of the noun that has been left out, and that noun is normally sitting in the previous sentence. Choosing the form is a matter of looking back rather than looking ahead.

J'ai deux valises. Laquelle est la plus lourde ?

I've got two suitcases. Which one is heavier?

Find the noun you dropped, then match it.

No Noun Can Follow It

This is what separates it from quel. Lequel is a pronoun and has taken the noun's place, so nothing can come after it except the verb or a de phrase naming the group. Lequel train is impossible.

Quel train prends-tu ? — Lequel prends-tu ?

Which train are you taking? — Which one are you taking?

quel + noun, lequel alone.

À and De Contract

Because the article le is inside the word, à and de merge with it: auquel, auxquels, auxquelles, duquel, desquels, desquelles. The feminine singular is the only one that stays as two words, à laquelle and de laquelle.

Duquel de ces deux problèmes veux-tu parler ?

Which of these two problems do you want to talk about?

auquel, duquel — but à laquelle, de laquelle.

The Group Is Introduced by De

To name the set you are choosing from, French adds de plus a plural noun or pronoun: lequel de ces livres, laquelle d'entre elles. Parmi is also possible and slightly more formal.

Laquelle de ces deux options est la moins chère ?

Which of these two options is cheaper?

lequel de + the set.

It Assumes a Limited Choice

Lequel implies a set the listener can already see. If the field is wide open, French uses qui or quoi instead: qui vient ? rather than lequel vient ?, unless the candidates have just been listed.

Trois candidats se présentent. Lequel a le plus de chances ?

Three candidates are standing. Which one has the best chance?

Known set → lequel; open question → qui, quoi.

Common Mistakes with Interrogative Pronoun Lequel

Incorrect: Lequel livre veux-tu ? — Which book do you want?

Correct: Quel livre veux-tu ? — Which book do you want?

Lequel has already taken the noun's place, so no noun can follow it. With the noun present, the form is the adjective quel.

Incorrect: Le quel préfères-tu ? — Which one do you prefer?

Correct: Lequel préfères-tu ? — Which one do you prefer?

Lequel is a single word. The article and quel fused long ago, which is also why à and de contract with it to give auquel and duquel.

Incorrect: À lequel de ces numéros faut-il appeler ? — Which of these numbers should I call?

Correct: Auquel de ces numéros faut-il appeler ? — Which of these numbers should I call?

À merges with the le inside lequel. Only the feminine singular resists, giving à laquelle.

Incorrect: Laquelle est ton adresse ? — What's your address?

Correct: Quelle est ton adresse ? — What's your address?

In front of être followed by a noun, French uses quel as an adjective agreeing with that noun. Lequel would imply a choice from a set already on the table.

Beyond the Simple Question

Two constructions that reuse the same forms, and one where lequel becomes indefinite.

After a preposition, in front position

French moves the preposition to the front of the question, where English leaves it at the end. The pronoun after it takes the contracted form when the preposition is à or de.

Sur lequel de ces documents faut-il signer ?: Which of these documents do I sign on?
Avec laquelle travailles-tu ?: Which one are you working with?
Pour lesquels as-tu voté ?: Which ones did you vote for?

Tu travailles avec laquelle ? is the casual spoken version, with the question word at the end.

Embedded in another sentence

Lequel keeps its form inside a larger sentence, where it introduces an indirect question. No est-ce que machinery is involved, so nothing has to be rewritten.

Je me demande lequel des deux dit la vérité.: I wonder which of the two is telling the truth.
Elle n'a pas précisé à laquelle elle pensait.: She didn't say which one she meant.
On verra lesquels sont vraiment motivés.: We'll see which ones are really motivated.

Compare qu'est-ce que, which has to become ce que when embedded. Lequel is simpler in that respect.

N'importe lequel, any one at all

Putting n'importe in front turns the question into an indefinite: any one, whichever you like. It agrees exactly as the question word does.

Prends n'importe lequel.: Take any one you like.
N'importe laquelle fera l'affaire.: Any of them will do.
Ce n'est pas n'importe lequel : c'est un original.: It isn't just any old one: it's an original.

The same pattern gives n'importe qui, n'importe quoi and n'importe quel plus a noun.

Interrogative Pronoun Lequel FAQs

What does lequel mean in a question?: Which one. It replaces a noun the listener already knows: il y a deux clés, laquelle est la bonne ? The form changes with the noun, giving lequel, laquelle, lesquels and lesquelles.
Is it lequel or le quel?: Always lequel, one word. It is a fused form of le plus quel, which is why it also produces auquel, auxquels, duquel and desquels when a preposition is added.
What is the difference between quel and lequel?: Quel is an adjective and needs a noun after it: quel film ? Lequel is a pronoun and stands alone: lequel ? Before être with a following noun, French uses quel: quelle est la question ?
How do I ask which of these in French?: Lequel plus de and the group: lequel de ces livres, laquelle de ces deux options, lesquelles d'entre elles. Parmi is also possible and slightly more formal: parmi ces photos, lesquelles préfères-tu ?
Do I need to change lequel in an indirect question?: No. It stays exactly as it is: je ne sais pas lequel choisir, dis-moi laquelle tu préfères. That makes it easier than qu'est-ce que, which has to become ce que once it is embedded.