PrepMyFrench
PrepMyFrench
用法
Demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) mean "this/that" and go before a noun. Cet replaces ce before a masculine noun starting with a vowel or silent h. Demonstrative pronouns (celui, celle, ceux, celles) mean "this one/that one" and replace a noun — they must be followed by -ci/-là, de, or a relative pronoun (qui/que). C'est and ce sont use the neutral demonstrative ce.
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ce | masc. sing. (before consonant) | ce livre — this book |
| cet | masc. sing. (before vowel / h muet) | cet homme — this man |
| cette | fem. sing. | cette maison — this house |
| ces | plural (masc. & fem.) | ces enfants — these children |
noun + -ci (this here) | noun + -là (that there)
When you need to distinguish between two items, add -ci (closer/this) or -là (further/that) after the noun with a hyphen: ce livre-ci vs ce livre-là. In modern French, -là is used as the default even for "this" — -ci is reserved for explicit contrast.
Je préfère cette robe-ci.
I prefer this dress (here).
Ce restaurant-là est excellent.
That restaurant (over there) is excellent.
| Form | Gender / Number | Example |
|---|---|---|
| celui | masc. sing. | celui de Pierre — Pierre's one |
| celle | fem. sing. | celle qui est rouge — the one that is red |
| ceux | masc. pl. | ceux que j'ai vus — the ones I saw |
| celles | fem. pl. | celles-là — those ones |
celui/celle/ceux/celles + (-ci/-là | de… | qui/que/dont/où…)
A demonstrative pronoun cannot stand alone. It must be completed by one of three things: -ci/-là (celui-ci, celle-là), de + noun (celui de Marie — Marie's one), or a relative clause (celui qui parle — the one who is speaking). Writing "celui est bon" without any of these is always wrong.
J'aime bien celui-ci mais pas celui-là.
I like this one but not that one.
Ma voiture est celle de droite.
My car is the one on the right.
Ceux qui veulent partir peuvent partir.
Those who want to leave can leave.
La question est celle que vous avez posée.
The question is the one you asked.
ceci (this) | cela / ça (that / it)
When "this" or "that" doesn't refer to a specific masculine or feminine noun, but rather to an abstract idea, a situation, or something you are pointing at whose name you don't know, use the neutral pronouns. Ceci draws attention to something you are about to say or show. Cela refers to something already mentioned. In spoken French, ça replaces cela almost completely (ça va, c'est ça).
Ceci est très important.
This (what I'm about to say) is very important.
Je ne comprends pas cela.
I don't understand that (what was just said).
Ça me plaît beaucoup.
I like that / it pleases me.
Ce vs cet: use cet only before a masculine noun starting with a vowel or silent h — cet arbre, cet hôtel. Before a feminine noun, always use cette regardless of the starting sound — cette école, not "cet école."
Don't confuse the pronoun ce (used in c'est/ce sont and before qui/que: ce qui m'intéresse) with the adjective ce (ce livre). The pronoun is neutral/invariable; the adjective agrees with the noun.
Demonstratives appear heavily in TCF/TEF reading comprehension — understanding what celui, celle, ceux refer back to is essential for answering inference questions correctly. In writing, using demonstrative pronouns (celle qui, ceux que) to avoid noun repetition is a clear B1–B2 sophistication marker that examiners reward.
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Use cet before a masculine singular noun that starts with a vowel or silent h: cet ami, cet homme, cet arbre. Before consonants, use ce: ce garçon, ce héros (aspirated h).
No. A demonstrative pronoun must be completed by -ci/-là, de + noun, or a relative clause. "Celui est bon" is never correct. Say celui-ci est bon or celui que j'ai choisi.
C'est introduces a noun (c'est un médecin) or a stressed pronoun (c'est moi). Il est introduces an adjective (il est grand) or a profession without article (il est médecin). See our dedicated c'est vs il est guide for the full rules.