French Demonstratives: Pointing Out People and Things with Ce, Cet, Cette, Ces
Learn to use French demonstrative adjectives ce, cet, cette, ces to point out people and things near and far, and understand how they differ from articles.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In French, when you want to point out a specific person or thing—like saying 'this book' or 'that house'—you use a demonstrative adjective. Unlike English, which has separate words for near (this/these) and far (that/those), French typically uses the same forms (ce, cet, cette, ces) regardless of distance. The distinction between near and far is often shown by adding -ci (here) or -là (there) after the noun. This lesson will teach you how to use these forms correctly, and how they differ from definite articles (le, la, l', les).
By the end, you can…
- use ce, cet, cette, ces to point out specific people or things.
- add -ci or -là to clarify near versus far.
- distinguish demonstrative adjectives from definite articles.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Ce livre est à moi.
This book is mine.
suh LEE-vruh eh ah mwah
Use ce before a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant. Here, 'ce livre' points out a specific book.
Cet homme est mon père.
This man is my father.
set UHM eh mohn PEHR
Use cet before a masculine singular noun starting with a vowel or mute h. 'Cet homme' avoids the awkward sound of 'ce homme'.
Cette femme est ma mère.
This woman is my mother.
set FAHM eh mah MEHR
Use cette before any feminine singular noun, regardless of the starting sound.
Ces enfants sont mes cousins.
These children are my cousins.
say zahn-FAHN sohn may koo-ZAN
Use ces before any plural noun. The liaison between ces and a vowel-initial word is required: 'ces enfants' sounds like 'say zahn-FAHN'.
Ce livre-ci est à moi; ce livre-là est à toi.
This book (here) is mine; that book (there) is yours.
suh LEE-vruh see eh ah mwah; suh LEE-vruh lah eh ah twah
Add -ci to indicate closeness (this one here) and -là to indicate distance (that one there). This is the common way to contrast near and far in French.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Demonstrative adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. The forms are: ce (masculine singular before consonant), cet (masculine singular before vowel or mute h), cette (feminine singular), ces (plural). Examples: ce stylo (this pen), cet arbre (this tree), cette table (this table), ces livres (these books). To emphasize near versus far, add -ci or -là after the noun: ce stylo-ci (this pen here), ce stylo-là (that pen there). Note that -ci and -là are attached with a hyphen.
When to use it
Use demonstrative adjectives when you want to point out a specific item or person, often when the referent is clear from context or physically present. For example, if you are holding a book, you might say 'Ce livre est intéressant.' If you are comparing two books, you can say 'Ce livre-ci est intéressant, mais ce livre-là est ennuyeux.' In contrast, definite articles (le, la, l', les) are used for general or already identified referents: 'Le livre est sur la table' (The book is on the table) does not point out which book in particular. Demonstratives add a pointing function.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Regarde cette photo. C'est ma famille.
Look at this photo. It's my family.ruh-GARD set FOH-toh. say mah fah-MEE-yuhQui est cet homme à gauche?
Who is this man on the left?kee eh set UHM ah GOHSHC'est mon oncle. Et ces enfants, ce sont mes cousins.
That's my uncle. And these children are my cousins.say mohn OHN-kluh. eh say zahn-FAHN, suh sohn may koo-ZANIls sont mignons. Et cette femme-là, qui est-ce?
They are cute. And that woman there, who is she?eel sohn mee-NYON. eh set FAM-lah, kee esA little context goes a long way
In French, the distinction between 'this' and 'that' is often less about physical distance and more about contrast or emphasis. The forms with -ci and -là are used to contrast two items, but in everyday speech, -là is more common even for near objects. For example, 'Ce livre-là' can mean 'that book' or simply 'this book' depending on context. In Quebec French, -là is frequently used in informal speech to mean 'this' as well, and the -ci form is rarer. Additionally, demonstrative adjectives are not used together with possessive adjectives: you cannot say 'ce mon livre'; instead, use 'ce livre' or 'mon livre'.
One thing to watch for
Using 'ce' before a masculine noun that starts with a vowel, as in 'ce homme'.
Try this instead: Use 'cet' before masculine singular nouns starting with a vowel or mute h: 'cet homme' (this man), 'cet arbre' (this tree). The form 'ce homme' is incorrect because it creates an awkward vowel clash.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Fill in the blank with the correct demonstrative adjective: ____ fille est ma sœur. (fille = feminine singular)
Show a sample answer
Cette
Fille is feminine singular, so the correct demonstrative adjective is 'cette'. 'Ce' would be used for masculine, and 'ces' for plural.
2How would you say 'that book there' in French, using the noun 'livre' (masculine singular)?
Show a sample answer
Ce livre-là
Use 'ce' before a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant, and add '-là' to indicate distance. 'Ce livre-là' contrasts with 'ce livre-ci' (this book here).
3Choose the correct form: ____ arbres sont grands. (arbres = masculine plural)
Show a sample answer
Ces
Arbres is plural, so the demonstrative adjective must be 'ces'. 'Cet' is only for masculine singular before a vowel, and 'cette' is for feminine singular.
Use ce, cet, cette, ces to point out specific people or things. Add -ci for near and -là for far when you need to contrast. Remember that cet is used before masculine singular nouns starting with a vowel or mute h.
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