# Demonstratives

https://langs123.com/en/french/nom-determinants/demonstratifs/
CEFR A1–A2 · 2026-10-24 · CC BY 4.0, langs123 contributors (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

> **Ce**, **cet**, **cette** and **ces** point to a noun; **ça** points to a thing without naming it. The demonstrative agrees with the noun: **ce** or **cet** for masculine, **cette** for feminine, **ces** for plural: **ce** livre, **cet** ami, **cette** maison, **ces** enfants

## Summary

| Point | Rule | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Form | **ce** / **cet** / **cette** / **ces** + noun | **Ce** livre est à moi. / **Ces** livres sont à moi. | This book is mine. / These books are mine. |
| Pointing | **ce**, **cette**… point to one particular thing or person | Je prends **ce** pain, s’il vous plaît. | I'll take this bread, please. |
| The time | **ce matin** / **ce soir** / **cette semaine**: the present period | Je travaille **ce** soir. | I'm working this evening. |
| Ça va? | **ça**: a thing you do not name | **Ça** va ? | How are you? |
| Ça | **ça** after or before a verb, never before a noun | **Ça** coûte dix euros. | That costs ten euros. |
| -ci and -là | noun + **-ci**: near; noun + **-là**: far, or just to point | Je prends ce pull-ci, pas ce pull-là. | I'll take this jumper, not that one. |
| Cet | **cet** before a masculine noun that starts with a vowel or a mute h | **Cet** homme est grand. | This man is tall. |
| Trap | **cette** for the feminine, even before a vowel: **cette amie** | **Cette** amie est drôle. | This friend is funny. |
| Trap | **ça** does not go before a noun: **ce livre**, not **ça livre** | **Ce** livre est bon. | This book is good. |

## Overview

- The demonstrative takes the place of the article: one word before the noun. **Ce** chat dort. / **Ces** chats dorment. (This cat is asleep. / These cats are asleep.)
- One word covers “this” and “that”; **-ci** and **-là** tell the distance. Prends **ce** livre, ici. / Regarde **ce** livre, là-bas. (Take this book here. / Look at that book over there.)
- For the articles the demonstrative replaces, see Articles.

## Form: ce, cet, cette, ces

| The noun | Form | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| masculine | **ce** | ce garçon |
| masculine before a vowel or a mute h | **cet** | cet ami / cet homme |
| feminine | **cette** | cette fille / cette amie |
| plural (masculine and feminine) | **ces** | ces garçons / ces filles / ces amis |

- **Cet** depends on the word right after **ce**: before an adjective that starts with a consonant, it is **ce**. **Cet** arbre / **Ce** grand arbre / **Cet** ancien hôtel (this tree / this tall tree / this old hotel)
- For the gender of nouns, see Noun Gender.
- For adjectives that go before the noun, see Adjectives.

## Pronunciation: ce, cet, cette, ces

| Form | Pronunciation | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **ce** | /sə/ | ce garçon /sə ɡaʁsɔ̃/ |
| **cet** | /sɛt/ | cet ami /sɛ tami/ |
| **cette** | /sɛt/ | cette amie /sɛ tami/ |
| **ces** | /se/ | ces amis /se zami/ |

- **Cet ami** and **cette amie** sound the same: only the spelling shows the gender. **Cet** ami /sɛ tami/ · **Cette** amie /sɛ tami/ (this (male) friend / this (female) friend)
- For the liaison of **ces** before a vowel, see Liaison and Elision.

## Use: ce, cet, cette, ces

| Use | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pointing at what you see | Regarde **ce** chat ! / J’aime **cette** chanson. | Look at this cat! / I like this song. |
| Choosing, buying | Je prends **ce** pain, s’il vous plaît. / Combien coûtent **ces** pommes ? | I'll take this bread, please. / How much are these apples? |
| The present period | Je travaille **ce** soir. / Nous partons **cette** semaine. / Il fait chaud **cet** après-midi. | I'm working this evening. / We're leaving this week. / It is hot this afternoon. |
| Taking up what was just mentioned | J’ai un chat. **Ce** chat est noir. | I have a cat. The cat is black. |

## Form: -ci and -là

| Form | Meaning | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| noun + **-ci** | near the speaker | Je prends ce pull-ci. | I'll take this jumper. |
| noun + **-là** | far from the speaker, or just to point | Je prends ce pull-là. / Passe-moi ce stylo-là. | I'll take that jumper. / Pass me that pen. |
| **ce** / **cette** + noun + **-là** | a moment in the past | **Ce** jour-là, j’étais malade. | That day, I was ill. |

- **-ci** and **-là** are written after the noun, with a hyphen. ce livre-ci / cette table-là (this book / that table)

## The pronoun ça

| Use | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Greetings and news | Ça va ? — Ça va bien, merci. | How are you? — I'm fine, thanks. |
| Pointing without naming | **Ça**, c’est un stylo. / Tu veux **ça** ? | That is a pen. / Do you want that? |
| A thing or idea under discussion | **Ça** coûte dix euros. / **Ça** sent bon. | That costs ten euros. / That smells good. |
| A situation in general | **Ça** dépend. / **Ça** marche ! | It depends. / Deal! |

- **Ça** is a pronoun: it stands for a thing and never goes before a noun. **Ça** me plaît. / **Ce** livre me plaît. (I like that. / I like this book.)
- For **c’est** and **ce sont**, see C’est and Il est.

## Typical errors

| ✗ | ✓ |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ce amie est drôle. | **Cette** amie est drôle. | **amie** is feminine: **cette amie** |
| Ce ami est drôle. | **Cet** ami est drôle. | before a vowel, the masculine is **cet** |
| Ce maison est grande. | **Cette** maison est grande. | the demonstrative agrees with the noun: **maison** is feminine, so **cette maison** |
| Ça livre est bon. | **Ce** livre est bon. | **ça** does not go before a noun: **ce livre** |
| Ça est bon. | C’est bon. | before the verb **être**, it is **c’est**, not **ça est** |
| Ce livre là est bon. | Ce livre-là est bon. | **-là** is joined to the noun with a hyphen |