Ce, Cet, Cette, Ces: How French Says “This” and “That”

Pointing at things is beginner-lesson-one material — and French does it with four little words. Ce, cet, cette, ces cover this/that/these/those, with one sound-driven twist and one surprise: French usually doesn’t care about the this/that difference at all.

The four forms

Cet exists purely for the ears — « ce homme » clashes, so the t glides in: cet homme [sɛtɔm]. It sounds exactly like cette, which is why listening alone can’t teach you this spelling.

This vs that: the -ci and -là tags

By default, ce livre means this OR that book — context decides. When French truly needs the contrast, it tags the noun: ce livre-ci (this one here) vs ce livre-là (that one there). In practice, -là dominates speech: « ce jour-là » (that day), « cette fois-là » (that time).

Pointing without a noun: celui & friends

Drop the noun and the demonstrative changes clothes: celui/celle/ceux/celles. « Quelle voiture ? — Celle de Marie. » (Marie’s one.) « Ceux qui veulent venir… » (those who want to come). Add the tags for this-one/that-one: celui-ci, celle-là.

And the famous ça

For pointing at situations rather than nouns: ça (informal cela) — Ça m’énerve. Ça va ? Ceci exists but mostly in writing; conversation runs on ça.

FAQ

How do I choose between ce and cet?

Same trigger as mon amie or bel homme: the next SOUND. Vowel or mute h → cet: cet ami, cet hôtel. Aspirated h keeps ce: ce héros.

Is « ce » here the same as in « c’est »?

Same word, different job — before être it’s a pronoun: c’est génial. That use has its own lesson: c’est vs il est.

Do the French really not distinguish this and that?

Mostly not — proximity rarely matters enough. When it does (comparing two things), out come the tags: je préfère celui-ci à celui-là.

Full tables on the demonstratives & possessives chart and the demonstrative pronouns chart; the gender behind ce/cette starts at le or la?

Quick practice