Look at these sentences:
Les boutons de manchette dont il a envie sont trop chers.
Les boutons de manchette desquels il a envie sont trop chers.The cuff links he wants (of which he has envy) are too expensive.
Les boutons de manchette desquels il a envie sont trop chers.The cuff links he wants (of which he has envy) are too expensive.
La fille de qui il a peur habite ici.
La fille de laquelle il a peur habite ici.
La fille dont il a peur habite ici.The girl he is scared of (of whom he is scared) lives here.
La fille de laquelle il a peur habite ici.
La fille dont il a peur habite ici.The girl he is scared of (of whom he is scared) lives here.
To introduce relative clauses with the preposition de, there are three ways in French:
- dont (of/about which/whom)
- de qui (of/about whom), which can only apply to living things
- The contracted forms of de + quel (of/about which): duquel / de laquelle / desquels / desquelles.
These forms agree in gender and number with the object they refer to.
ATTENTION:
You can never have de or duquel or dont at the end of the clause like in English.
-> You cannot say:
La fille qui je parle de
La fille laquelle je parle de The girl whom I'm speaking of
La fille je parle dont
-> You cannot say:
La fille qui je parle de
La fille laquelle je parle de The girl whom I'm speaking of
La fille je parle dont
See also Dont = Whose
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Examples and resources
Les boutons de manchette dont il a envie sont trop chers.
Les boutons de manchette desquels il a envie sont trop chers.The cuff links he wants (of which he has envy) are too expensive.
Les boutons de manchette desquels il a envie sont trop chers.The cuff links he wants (of which he has envy) are too expensive.
Je devine le passé d'une femme à la façon dont elle tient ses cigarettes, et l'avenir d'un homme à la façon dont il tient la boisson.
(Sacha Guitry)I guess a woman's past from the way she holds her cigarettes, and a man's future from the way he holds his drink/liquor.
(Sacha Guitry)
(Sacha Guitry)I guess a woman's past from the way she holds her cigarettes, and a man's future from the way he holds his drink/liquor.
(Sacha Guitry)
La fille de qui il a peur habite ici.
La fille de laquelle il a peur habite ici.
La fille dont il a peur habite ici.The girl he is scared of (of whom he is scared) lives here.
La fille de laquelle il a peur habite ici.
La fille dont il a peur habite ici.The girl he is scared of (of whom he is scared) lives here.
