In this lesson, we cover demonstrative adjectives and pronouns in French.
Demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these, those) come before a noun, e.g., “I want this book.”
One the other hand, possessive pronouns (same as demonstrative adjectives in English: this, that, these, those) are used to replace a noun and its possessive adjective, e.g., “I want this.”
In French, demonstrative pronouns and adjectives must agree in gender and number with the described noun.
Demonstrative Adjectives
Let us start with the demonstrative adjectives.
| Masc. Singular | Feminine Singular | Masc. Plural | Feminine Plural | |
| this/that/these/those | ce/cet | cette | ces | |
In French, the demonstrative adjectives “ce,” “cet,” and “cette” can mean both “this” and “that.” The demonstrative adjective “cet” is used before a singular masculine noun that starts with a vowel or mute “h,” e.g., “cet arbre” (this/that tree), “cet homme” (this/that man), etc., whereas “ce” is used before any other singular masculine noun, e.g., “ce garcon” (this/that boy). The demonstrative adjective “cette” is used before a singular feminine noun.
Similarly, “ces” can mean both “these” and “those.” There is no real distinction of nearness and farness in the simple forms of the demonstrative adjectives.
To make such a distinction, we can add “-ci” or “-là” after the noun, for example:
| ce livre-ci | this book | ce livre-là | that book |
| cet homme-ci | this man | cet homme-là | that man |
| cette femme-ci | this woman | cette femme-là | that woman |
| ces chemises-ci | these shirts | ces chemises-là | those shirts |
Demonstrative Pronouns
Let us now examine the demonstrative pronouns:
| Masc. Singular | Feminine Singular | Masc. Plural | Feminine Plural | |
| this/that (one) these/those (ones) | celui | celle | ceux | celles |
In general, “celui,” “celle,” “ceux,” and “celles” do not appear on their own.
They can appear with “-ci” or “-là” attached to the end of the demonstrative pronoun, or followed by “que,” “qui,” “de,” or a prepositional phrase. In the latter case, the demonstrative pronoun is often translated as “the one(s).”
Let us look at some examples:
| Do you want this book or that one? | Voulez-vous ce livre ou celui-là? |
| I have two cars; this one is my favorite. | J’ai deux voitures; celle-ci est ma préférée. |
| For those who are overweight, exercise is very important. | Pour ceux qui sont en surpoids, l’exercice est très important. |
| I’m looking for the car; not mine but Pierre’s (that of Pierre). | Je cherche la voiture; pas la mienne mais celle de Pierre. |
| Which shirts? The ones that are there are not mine. | Quelles chemises? Celles qui sont là ne sont pas les miennes. |
Referring to a Statement, Indefinite Thing, or Idea
When referring to a statement, an indefinite thing, or a previously mentioned idea, we use one of the following pronouns:
| ce/c’ | this/that | Used with the verb “être” | informal |
| ça | this/that | Used with verbs other than “être” | |
| ceci | this | Both “ceci” and “cela” can be used with any verb including “être” | formal |
| cela | that |
The pronouns “ce” and “ça” are often used in familiar situations in daily spoken language.
The pronoun “ce” (or “c’” before a vowel or a mute “h”) is used before the verb “être” (to be), whereas “ça” is used with other verbs.
On the other hand, the pronouns “ceci” (this) and “cela” (that) are more formal. We often use them in written French.
Here are some examples:
| That is interesting. | C’est intéressant. |
| This is a good idea. | C’est une bonne idée. |
| That is good news. | Ce sont de bonnes nouvelles. |
| Look at that. | Regarde ça. |
| I didn’t say that. | Je n’ai pas dit ça. |
| This is not acceptable. | Ceci n’est pas acceptable. |
| That has already been discussed. | Cela a déjà été discuté. |
Next: Object Personal Pronouns
Other lessons in Level II:
