French Grammar #10: How to Form Questions
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French Grammar #13: Demonstrative Adjectives
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In French, when you want to point out a noun such as “this book” or “that person,” you use demonstrative adjectives(ce, cette, ces). Although English has similar expressions, the distinctive feature in French is that the form changes depending on the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun.
In this lesson, I will explain the basic rules, usage, and natural application of demonstrative adjectives in context.
Contents
1. What Are Demonstrative Adjectives?
Demonstrative adjectives are adjectives that accompany a noun the speaker wants to point out. They correspond to “this/that” in English, and are always used together with a noun.
In French, demonstrative adjectives change form according to the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun.
| Gender / Number | Demonstrative Adjective | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular (consonant initial) | ce | ce livre | this book |
| Masculine singular (vowel or mute h initial) | cet | cet homme | this man |
| Feminine singular | cette | cette maison | this house |
| Plural (all genders) | ces | ces enfants | these children |
2. Usage According to Gender and Number
2-1. Masculine Singular → ce / cet
- Masculine singular + consonant-initial noun → ce
- Masculine singular + vowel or mute h-initial noun → cet
This change helps maintain smooth pronunciation and liaison between words.
2-2. Feminine Singular → cette
cette is used for all feminine singular nouns.
2-3. Plural (all genders) → ces
ces is used for all plural nouns, regardless of gender.
3. Expressing Distance with -ci and -là
French allows speakers to distinguish between “near” and “far” objects by adding -ci (here/this) or -là (there/that) after the noun.
- Cet homme-ci est mon père.
(This man here is my father.) - Ces fleurs-là sont magnifiques.
(Those flowers over there are beautiful.)
These markers can also express psychological distance:
- Ce garçon-ci est mon ami.(This boy is my friend）
→ close, familiar nuance. - Ce garçon-là est agaçant.（(That boy is annoying）
→ distant, less friendly nuance.
4. Difference Between Demonstrative Adjectives and Articles
French nouns may take definite articles (le, la, les), indefinite articles (un, une, des), or demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces).
- Definite articles:
used for something both speaker and listener know, or something identifiable from context. - Indefinite articles:
used for something mentioned for the first time or not specifically defined. - Demonstrative adjectives:
used when the speaker explicitly points out a specific object (“this/that”).
Thus, demonstrative adjectives go beyond “a book” (un livre) or “the book” (le livre), and convey “this book” or “that book,” highlighting what the speaker wants to indicate.
5. Summary
- Demonstrative adjectives change form depending on the gender and number of the noun.
- For masculine singular nouns starting with a vowel or mute h, cet is used.
- For plural nouns, ces is used regardless of gender.
- Adding -ci or -là to the noun emphasizes proximity (“this/these”) or distance (“that/those”), both physically and emotionally.
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