Les Pronoms Démonstratifs — celui, celle, ceux, celles | French Grammar
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celui, celle, ceux, celles — “the one(s)”. This guide explains Les Pronoms Démonstratifs in French with clear rules, real examples and practice for every CEFR level. For instance: « celui (the one) » — celle.
Les Pronoms Démonstratifs
celui, celle, ceux, celles — “the one(s)”
1. Les 4 formes (they replace a noun already mentioned)
| masculin | féminin | |
|---|---|---|
| singulier | celui (the one) | celle |
| pluriel | ceux (the ones) | celles |
2. Toujours suivis de quelque chose (never used alone!)
| Suivi de | Exemple | Anglais |
|---|---|---|
| -ci / -là | celui-ci / celui-là | this one / that one |
| de + nom | celui de Paul | Paul’s (the one of Paul) |
| qui / que / dont | celle qui parle | the one who’s speaking |
3. En situation
| Question | Réponse |
|---|---|
| Quelle robe ? | Celle-là, la rouge. |
| Quels livres ? | Ceux que tu m’as prêtés. |
| C’est ton sac ? | Non, c’est celui de ma sœur. |
💡 Ne pas confondre
Demonstrative ADJECTIVE = ce/cette/ces + noun (« ce livre »). Demonstrative PRONOUN = celui/celle REPLACING the noun (« celui-ci »).
Celui can NEVER stand alone — it always needs -ci/-là, de…, or qui/que/dont after it.
Neutral forms ce/ceci/cela/ça refer to an idea, not a specific noun: « ça, c’est vrai » (that’s true).
📚 Free French lessons at learnfrench.co
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
this one (masc.) = ___-ci (+ci/là)
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celui
the ones that… (fem. pl.) = ___ qui… (fem plural)
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celles
Paul’s (the one of Paul) = celui ___ Paul (+ de)
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de
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🎯 More practice — translation — put it into French
Translate into French: « I like this coat, but I prefer that one. » (translation)
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J’aime ce manteau, mais je préfère celui-là.
Translate into French: « My keys? They’re the ones on the table. » (translation)
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Mes clés ? Ce sont celles qui sont sur la table.
Translate into French: « Your opinion matters more than other people’s. » (translation)
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Ton avis compte plus que celui des autres.
Les Pronoms Démonstratifs in French — FAQ
How do you use Les Pronoms Démonstratifs in French?
celui, celle, ceux, celles — “the one(s)”. Follow the rules and patterns in the lesson above, and practise with real sentences like « celui (the one) » (celle).
Can you give an example of Les Pronoms Démonstratifs in French?
Yes — « celui (the one) » means « celle », and « ceux (the ones) » means « celles ». The lesson above has many more examples with explanations.
What CEFR level is Les Pronoms Démonstratifs?
This topic is introduced around B1 and refined at higher levels — pick your level from the links at the top of the page. You can also drill it with the interactive exercises and games below.
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5 quick questions on « Les Pronoms Démonstratifs » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →