Demonstrative Pronouns- Les Pronoms Démonstratifs

Demonstrative pronouns are words that replace a noun that has already been mentioned or is obvious from the context. In English, they are equivalent to this one, that one, these, those. Instead of repeating a noun, French uses demonstrative pronouns to point to something or someone.

They are the four forms celui, celle, ceux, celles, plus their compound variants with -ci/-là and the neutral set ce, ceci, cela/ça; they replace nouns and must agree in gender and number with the noun they stand for. They often appear with a clarifying word or clause e.g., a relative clause, -ci/-là, de + noun, prepositional phrases to specify exactly which person or thing is meant.

Forms of Demonstrative Pronouns

In French, demonstrative pronouns agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they replace.Unlike in English, French demonstrative pronouns cannot stand alone. They are almost always followed by something that specifies what we are talking about.

• Simple forms:

Gender/Number	Form	English Equivalent
Masculine singular	celui	this one / that one
Feminine singular	celle	this one / that one
Masculine plural	ceux	these / those
Feminine plural	celles	these / those

• Compound (proximal/distal):
  • -ci = nearer/proximal: celui-ci, celle-ci, ceux-ci, celles-ci
  • -là = farther/distal: celui-là, celle-là, ceux-là, celles-là
• Neutral/indefinite set:
  • ce (neuter subject with être and fixed turns), ceci (this), cela/ça (that/it; cela is more formal; ça is very common in speech)

Agreement and Reference

The pronoun matches the grammatical gender and number of the noun it replaces, not the speaker’s opinion or the listener’s identity.

Examples:

Among the books, I prefer the ones with photos → Parmi les livres, je préfère ceux avec des photos. Here ceux is masculine plural because livres is masculine plural.

Usage

A demonstrative pronoun in French almost always needs something to pin down its meaning: a clause, a prepositional phrase, -ci/-là, or de + noun. Six common ways to specify meaning:

1. With a relative clause (qui, que, dont, où)

• Pattern: celui/celle/ceux/celles + relative clause
• Use this to identify the one(s) who/that/whose/where…

Examples:

• The one who won → celui qui a gagné
• The one that I recommended → celle que j’ai recommandée
• The ones whose style I admire → ceux dont j’admire le style
• The ones where we used to meet → celles où nous nous retrouvions

2. With -ci (near) and -là (far)

• -ci indicates proximity (in space, time, discourse), -là indicates distance.
• Typical for contrasts, choices, or pointing:
  • Which one, this one or that one? → Lequel, celui-ci ou celui-là ?
  • I will take these ones → Je prends ceux-ci.
• In writing, -là can also mark the previously mentioned versus -ci the one I am about to mention in discourse.

3. With de + noun (possessor or attribute)

• Pattern: celui/celle/ceux/celles + de + noun
• Use to mean the one(s) of/belonging to/with…
  • hers/his/the teacher’s (when the possessed noun is clear)
    • Where is your car? The teacher’s is outside. → Où est ta voiture ? Celle du professeur est dehors.
  • the ones with the red cover → ceux à la couverture rouge (see next point for à)

4. With prepositional phrases (à, en, pour, chez, etc.)

• Pattern: celui/celle/ceux/celles + preposition + complement
• Adds a feature, purpose, location, or association:
  • the one with the handle → celui à poignée
  • the one for children → celui pour enfants
  • the ones at my place → ceux chez moi
  • the one in wool → celui en laine

5. With comparisons or contrasts in context

• Use in answers or elliptical contexts where the set is known:
  • Which croissant do you want? The one with almonds. → Lequel veux-tu ? Celui aux amandes.
  • Not those, the other ones. → Pas ceux-là, les autres.

6. With être + de (identity or authorship)

• Pattern: être + celui/celle/ceux/celles + de + noun/pronoun
• Assigns ownership or responsibility:
  • It is his. → C’est celui de Paul.
  • They are hers. → Ce sont celles de Marie.

Neutral and indefinite demonstratives

• ce: Neutral it/that used mainly with être in cleft sentences and definitions.
  • It is interesting. → C’est intéressant.
  • This is my brother. → C’est mon frère.
• ceci vs cela/ça:
  • ceci = this (more formal or anticipatory; often used to introduce upcoming content)
  • cela = that (formal/standard), ça = that/it (very common in speech)
  • In modern usage, cela/ça is far more frequent than ceci. Ceci survives especially in writing for forward-pointing references (the following).

Examples:

• Consider this: … → Considérez ceci : …
• That does not make sense. → Cela/Ça n’a pas de sens.
• Do not mix ceci/cela with gender agreement; they are neutral and do not replace a gendered noun like celui/celle do.

Demonstrative pronouns vs demonstrative adjectives

• Adjectives(Determiners) sit before a noun: ce, cet, cette, ces.
  • this book → ce livre, this friend (m. before vowel) → cet ami, this city → cette ville, these ideas → ces idées
• Pronouns stand alone and replace the noun: celui, celle, ceux, celles.
  • this one → celui-ci/celle-ci, those ones → ceux-là/celles-là
• A quick check: if a noun follows, it is a determiner; if not, it is a pronoun.

Direct contrast examples:

• Masculine singular
  • Adjective: Ce livre est passionnant. = This/That book is fascinating.
  • Pronoun: Lequel veux‑tu? Celui avec des photos. = Which one do you want? The one with photos.
• Masculine singular before vowel or mute h
  • Adjective: Cet homme est médecin. = This/That man is a doctor.
  • Pronoun: Parmi les candidats, je préfère celui qui a de l’expérience. = Among the candidates, I prefer the one who has experience.
• Feminine singular
  • Adjective: Cette idée est brillante. = This/That idea is brilliant.
  • Pronoun: J’aime celle que tu as proposée. = I like the one you proposed.
• Plural overview (note: pronouns here are ceux/celles, not asked but useful contrast)
  • Adjective: Ces projets avancent vite. = These/Those projects are moving fast.
  • Pronoun: Je choisis ceux qui respectent le budget. = I’m choosing the ones that meet the budget.

👉Important Notes:

• ce/cet/cette are determiners: they must be followed by a noun and mean this/that depending on context.
• celui/celle are pronouns: they stand alone, replace a noun, and often need a clarifier (relative clause, -ci/-là, de + noun, or a prepositional phrase).
• Use cet before masculine nouns starting with a vowel or mute h; otherwise use ce for masculine consonant-starting nouns; use cette for all feminine singular nouns.

Frequent learner pitfalls and fixes

• Ambiguity without a clarifier: French prefers adding a clause, -ci/-là, or a phrase. Add a relative clause or -ci/-là to avoid vagueness.
• Gender mismatch: Always match the replaced noun’s grammatical gender and number, not the person’s sex or a guessed gender.
• Overusing ceci: Prefer cela/ça in most contexts; reserve ceci for formal forward reference.
• Forgetting agreement in participles inside clauses: With celle que j’ai choisie, the past participle agrees with the preceding feminine direct object celle.
• Confusing ce vs. celui: C’est + noun/adjective/pronoun is neutral presentation; celui/celle… specifically picks out the one.

Exercises 

1. Choose the correct demonstrative pronoun (celui, celle, ceux, celles) to complete each sentence.

1. Voici deux robes : je préfère ___ qui est bleue.
2. Ce sont mes livres, et ___ de Paul sont sur la table.
3. J’aime bien les croissants, mais je préfère ___ aux amandes.
4. Regarde ces voitures : ___-ci est neuve, ___-là est vieille.
5. Les étudiants qui réussissent sont ___ qui travaillent sérieusement.
   

2. Rewrite the sentences using demonstrative pronouns to avoid repetition.

1. J’aime cette chanson. J’aime aussi cette chanson.
2. Mon sac est plus grand que ton sac.
3. Tu connais ces films ? Moi, je préfère ces films.

3. Use demonstrative pronouns in your translation.

1. The one who is speaking is my uncle.
2. These ones are better than those ones.
3. I don’t like this picture; I prefer that one.
4. The ones I told you about are very expensive.
5. This is interesting, but that doesn’t make sense.
   

4. In each sentence, decide if the bolded word is a demonstrative pronoun or a demonstrative adjective.

1. Ce livre est passionnant.
2. Je préfère celui avec des photos.
3. Ces enfants jouent dans le jardin.
4. Parmi les candidats, j’admire celle qui a de l’expérience.
5. Cet homme est médecin.

Answer Key

1.

1. celle
2. ceux
3. ceux
4. celle-ci, celle-là
5. ceux

2.

1. J’aime cette chanson, et j’aime aussi celle-là.
2. Mon sac est plus grand que le tien / celui de toi.
3. Tu connais ces films ? Moi, je préfère ceux-là.

3.

1. Celui qui parle est mon oncle.
2. Ceux-ci sont meilleurs que ceux-là.
3. Je n’aime pas cette photo ; je préfère celle-là.
4. Ceux dont je t’ai parlé sont très chers.
5. Ceci est intéressant, mais cela/ça n’a pas de sens.

4.

• Adjective
• Pronoun
• Adjective
• Pronoun
• Adjective