lo qual
The Relative Lo Qual
After a preposition, lo qual points back to a noun and agrees with it.
How It Works
| Form | Noun it stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| lo qual | masculine singular | L'amic al qual escrivi demòra a Rodés. |
| la quala | feminine singular | La femna amb la quala parli es Maria. |
| los quals | masculine plural | Los amics amb los quals trabalhi son de Besièrs. |
| las qualas | feminine plural | Las femnas amb las qualas parli son d'Albi. |
Que alone cannot follow a preposition, so la femna amb que parli is not correct. Write la femna amb la quala parli, and match the pronoun to the noun, not to the verb.
The contractions are the usual ones: a plus lo qual gives al qual, de plus los quals gives dels quals, and sus plus los quals gives suls quals.
Lo qual is most common in written texts, such as essays and translations. Learn to recognize it first, and use it when you write.
Examples (4)
- La femna amb la quala parli es Maria.
The woman I am talking to is Maria.
La quala agrees with femna.
- Los amics amb los quals trabalhi son de Besièrs.
The friends I work with are from Béziers.
Los quals agrees with amics.
- L'amic al qual escrivi demòra a Rodés.
The friend I write to lives in Rodez.
Al qual is a plus lo qual.
- La cosina dins la quala manjam es pichòta.
The kitchen we eat in is small.
La quala agrees with cosina.
Common Mistakes
Using que right after a preposition.
La femna amb que parli es Maria.La femna amb la quala parli es Maria.After a preposition, use lo qual and match it to the noun.
Using the wrong gender.
La cosina dins lo qual manjam es pichòta.La cosina dins la quala manjam es pichòta.Cosina is feminine, so the pronoun is la quala.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Lo qual replaces que after a preposition, so que relatiu and questions with a preposition come first.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice lo qual in Bubblegum
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