dont/dɔ̃/
pronoun · B2 · Frequency 387
pronouncommon
Meanings
of/from whom/which, whose
Used as a relative pronoun linking antecedent and clause, indicating possession, origin, or means.
denotes a part of a set, including
Indicates a part of a whole, meaning "including".
Examples
Le projet dont je t'ai parlé avance enfin.
The project I told you about is finally moving forward.
Voici l'outil dont nous nous servons chaque jour au laboratoire.
Here is the tool that we use every day in the laboratory.
J'ai invité plusieurs collègues, dont ma responsable.
I invited several colleagues, including my manager.
Collocations
- le livre dont je t'ai parléthe book I told you about
- la maison dont il est propriétairethe house of which he is the owner
- les étudiants dont plusieurs sont absentsthe students, some of whom are absent
Common mistakes
Le livre dont j'ai lu hier est passionnant.
Le livre que j'ai lu hier est passionnant.
dont cannot directly replace the direct object of lire; dont generally replaces a complement introduced by de. Here, que is required.
Related words
synonymduquelof which (relative pronoun)
- synonymoùwhere (relative adverb)
Grammar note
The relative pronoun dont introduces relative clauses replacing a noun phrase governed by the preposition de, indicating possession, origin, means, etc., and cannot be omitted.