In French, the relative pronouns "à qui" and "auquel / à laquelle / etc" are used to introduce relative clauses with prepositional verbs or verbal expressions with à. Let's learn when to use which.
How to use "à qui" or "auquel / à laquelle" in French
Look at these sentences:
La fille à qui je pense est belle.
La fille à laquelle je pense est belle.The girl (whom) I am thinking about is beautiful.
La fille à laquelle je pense est belle.The girl (whom) I am thinking about is beautiful.
(Faire peur à = to scare [someone/something])
Le chat, auquel tu as fait peur, s'est caché sous le lit.
Le chat, à qui tu as fait peur, s'est caché sous le lit.
The cat which you scared hid under the bed.
Le chat, à qui tu as fait peur, s'est caché sous le lit.
The cat which you scared hid under the bed.
Ce problème, auquel je ne comprends rien, m'énerve !This problem, about which I understand nothing, is getting on my nerves!
There are two ways to introduce relative clauses with the preposition à:
- à qui (about whom / to whom), which can only apply to living things
- The contracted forms of à + le / la / l' / les + quel: auquel / à laquelle / auxquels / auxquelles (which)
- Note that these forms agree in gender and number with the object they refer to.
ATTENTION:
You can never have à or auquel at the end of the clause like in English:
La fille qui je pense à / La fille laquelle je pense à
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Examples and resources
Le chat, à qui tu as fait peur, s'est caché sous le lit.
The cat which you scared hid under the bed.
La fille à laquelle je pense est belle.The girl (whom) I am thinking about is beautiful.
Mes amis, auxquels j'écris régulièrement, viennent me voir bientôt.My friends, to whom I write regularly, are coming over soon.
Marie et Juliette, auxquelles tu as menti, sont furieuses.Marie et Juliette, to whom you lied, are furious.
