The Difference Between “C’est” and ”Il est”｜Usage Rules Explained
Izumi French Garden
French Demonstrative Pronouns | How to Use celui, celle, ceux, celles
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Words such as “this,” “that,” and “those” are very common in everyday conversation. In French, these are expressed through demonstrative pronouns. By using demonstrative pronouns, we can refer to something already mentioned or something visible to both speaker and listener, while keeping the sentence concise.
In this lesson, I will explain the basic forms of French demonstrative pronouns, their usage, and their role within sentences.
Contents
1. What Are Demonstrative Pronouns?
Demonstrative pronouns (celui, celle, ceux, celles) are used to refer to nouns that have already been mentioned, or to things that are mutually understood by both speaker and listener.
For example:
- I like this book. But that book is expensive.
Here, “that book” in the second sentence refers back to “this book” in the first. In French, demonstrative pronouns are used to avoid repeating nouns in this way.
2. Forms of Demonstrative Pronouns
In French, demonstrative pronouns change form according to gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
| Gender / Number | Demonstrative Pronoun | Corresponding Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | celui | this/that (masculine singular) |
| Feminine singular | celle | this/that (feminine singular) |
| Masculine plural | ceux | these/those (masculine plural) |
| Feminine plural | celles | these/those (feminine plural) |
Demonstrative pronouns are typically used together with de + noun or a relative pronoun (qui, que, etc.).
It is rare for forms like celui to stand alone; instead, they usually appear in expressions such as celui que… (“the one that…”) or celle de… (“the one of…”).
3. Do Not Confuse with Demonstrative Adjectives
Expressions like “this book” or “that car,” where the word modifies a noun directly (ce, cette, ces), are demonstrative adjectives. They are different from demonstrative pronouns (celui, celle, etc.).
Learners of French often confuse these two categories, so be attentive.
- Ce livre est intéressant. (This book is interesting.)
→ Ce = demonstrative adjective - Celui que j’ai lu est intéressant. (The one I read is interesting.)
→ Celui = demonstrative pronoun
4. Gender and Number Agreement
Demonstrative pronouns must always agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the nouns they replace.
Unlike English this/that, which do not vary with gender, French requires grammatical agreement.
- Je préfère la robe rouge. Celle que tu as choisie est bleue.
(I prefer the red dress. The one you chose is blue.)
→ la robe is feminine singular, so celle is used. - J’ai acheté les livres. Ceux de Paul sont plus intéressants.
(I bought the books. Paul’s ones are more interesting.)
→ les livres is masculine plural, so ceux is used.
5. Use with de and Relative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns usually require further specification, such as “which one,” or “the one of ….” Two common patterns are:
5-1. celui de + noun (“the one of …”)
- Celui de Paul est plus grand.
(Paul’s one is bigger.)
5-2. celui que/qui + clause (“the one that …”)
- Celle que tu préfères est chère.
(The one you prefer is expensive.)
Thus, demonstrative pronouns are typically combined with additional words to function within sentences.
6. Expressing Proximity and Distance with -ci and -là
To indicate proximity to the speaker, add -ci (“this/these here”); to indicate distance, add -là (“that/those there”).
- celui-ci = this one (near)
- celui-là = that one (far)
This structure is often used when comparing two or more items.
- Tu préfères celui-ci ou celui-là ?
(Do you prefer this one or that one?)
7. Summary
- Demonstrative pronouns correspond to “this,” “that,” “those,” or “the one(s)” and help avoid repetition of nouns.
- They take four forms (celui, celle, ceux, celles), which must always agree with the gender and number of the noun replaced.
- They are most often used with de + noun or que/qui + clause.
- -ci (near) and -là (far) can be added to show relative distance or to compare items.
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