Demonstrative Adjectives in French: A Simple Guide

Demonstrative adjectives are used to point out specific things, people, or places. In English, these are words like “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.” French has its own set of demonstrative adjectives, and they need to agree in gender (masculine , feminine or feminin singular vowel , masculin singular vowel and plural )

Let’s dive into how demonstrative adjectives work in French.

1. The basic demonstrative adjectives in French are:

• ce (this/that) for masculine singular nouns starting with a consonant
• cet (this/that) for masculine singular nouns starting with a vowel or silent “h”
• cette (this/that) for feminine singular nouns and feminin singular nouns starting with vowels
• ces (these/those) for all plural nouns (masculine and feminine)

2. Masculine Singular

For masculine singular nouns starting with a consonant, you use ce. For example:
Ce livre (this/that book)
Ce chien (this/that dog)

If the masculine singular noun starts with a vowel or a silent “h,” you use cet to make the phrase sound smoother. For example:
Cet arbre (this/that tree)
Cet homme (this/that man)

3. Feminine Singular

For all feminine singular nouns, you use cette. It doesn’t matter if the noun starts with a vowel or consonant. For example:
Cette voiture (this/that car)
Cette amie (this/that friend)

4. Plural Form

For both masculine and feminine plural nouns, you use ces. There’s no distinction between singular and plural forms of “these” or “those.” For example:
Ces livres (these/those books)
Ces maisons (these/those houses)

5. Difference Between This and That / These and Those

In English, we differentiate between “this” (something close like here ) and “that” (something farther away like there ). French uses the same words, but you can add -ci or -là after the noun to clarify.

• Use -ci to indicate “this” or “these,” meaning something that is near.
  For example:
  Ce livre-ci (this book)
  Ces voitures-ci (these cars)
• Use -là to indicate “that” or “those,” meaning something that is farther away.
  For example:
  Ce livre-là (that book)
  Ces voitures-là (those cars)

1. Examples in Sentences

Let’s see how demonstrative adjectives work in sentences:

Ce chien est très gentil. (This/That dog is very kind.)
Cette robe est jolie. (This/That dress is pretty.)
Ces enfants jouent dans le parc. (These/Those children are playing in the park.)
Cet étudiant est intelligent. (This/That student is smart.)

If you want to make a distinction:
Je veux acheter ce livre-ci, pas ce livre-là. (I want to buy this book, not that book.)
Ces fleurs-ci sont plus belles que ces fleurs-là. (These flowers are prettier than those flowers.)

7. Conclusion

Demonstrative adjectives in French are simple once you understand the basic rules of gender and number agreement. Just remember:

• ce for masculine singular with a consonant
• cet for masculine singular with a vowel or silent “h”
• cette for feminine singular or feminin singular vowels nouns
• ces for all plural nouns

To make a clear distinction between “this/that” or “these/those,” simply add -ci for things close by and -là for things farther away. With this understanding, you’ll be able to point out things in French confidently and accurately.