il quale

== Italian == === Etymology === Compare French lequel. === Pronoun === il quale (feminine la quale, masculine plural i quali, feminine plural le quali) (after a preposition, now formal) whom; which Synonym: (common) cui la persona con la quale ho parlato ― the person to whom I've spoken (now rare) who; whom; which; that; subject or object Synonym: che ==== Usage notes ==== Used instead of cui after numerals and other quantifiers + di: quattro dei quali ― four of which Sometimes used when the invariant alternatives che or cui are ambiguous with respect to gender or number: Giovanni e Claudia, ai quali avevi parlato ― Giovanni and Claudia, to both of whom you talked (plural and hence including all) Giovanni e Claudia, alla quale avevi parlato ― Giovanni and Claudia, to the latter of whom you talked (feminine singular and hence including only Claudia) Generally, use after a preposition is moderately common, while use as a subject or object is quite rare. === Further reading === Che o il quale? in Treccani.it – La grammatica italiana (2012), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana