What is a demonstrative adjective?
A demonstrative adjective is one of the words this, that, these and those used with a noun in English to point out a particular thing or person, for example, this woman, that dog.
- In French you use ce to point out a particular thing or person. Like all adjectives in French, ce changes its form depending on whether you are referring to a noun that is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
| Masculine | Feminine | Meaning | |
| Singular | ce (cet) | cette | this that |
| Plural | ces | ces | these those |
Tipcet is used in front of masculine singular nouns which begin with
a vowel and most words beginning with h.
a vowel and most words beginning with h.
| cet oiseau | this/that bird |
| cet hôpital | this/that hospital |
- ce comes BEFORE the noun it refers to.
| Combien coûte ce manteau? | How much is this/that coat? |
| Comment s’appelle cette entreprise? | What’s this/that company called? |
| Ces livres sont très intéressants. | These/Those books are very interesting. |
| Ces couleurs sont jolies. | These/Those colours are pretty. |
- If you want to emphasize the difference between something that is close to you and something that is further away, you can add:
- -ci on the end of the noun for things that are closer
| Prends cette valise-ci. | Take this case. |
- -là on the end of the noun for things that are further away
| Est-ce que tu reconnais cette personne-là? | Do you recognize that person? |
Key points
- The adjective ce corresponds to this and that in the singular, and these and those in the plural.
- The forms are ce and cette in the singular, and ces in the plural. cet is used with masculine singular nouns beginning with a vowel and most words beginning with h.
- You can add -ci on the end of the noun for things that are closer, or -là for things that are further away, to emphasize the difference between them.