Demonstrative pronouns are used to show, identify, or refer back to a noun already known in discourse. They can designate a specific element among others, avoid repetition, or introduce a more general notion with neutral forms like ce, ceci, cela and ça. They are used in close connection with the [Pronoms] and also prepare the use of [Pronoms Relatifs].

French distinguishes the forms that accompany a noun from the forms that replace it. The masculine singular forms also adapt to the vowel by elision, while the plural marks agreement in number. The neutral demonstratives ce, ceci, cela and ça do not refer to a specific noun but to a situation, an idea, or a set already understood.

FormeForm	ValeurValue	ExempleExample
ceThis	Masculin singulier devant consonneMasculine singular before a consonant	Ce livre est bleu.This book is blue.
cetThis	Masculin singulier devant voyelleMasculine singular before a vowel	Cet homme est gentil.This man is kind.
cetteThis (feminine)	Féminin singulierFeminine singular	Cette chaise est légère.This chair is light.
cesThese	PlurielPlural	Ces chaises sont légères.These chairs are light.
celuiThe one	Pronom masculin singulierMasculine singular pronoun	Celui est à moi.The one is mine.
celleThe one	Pronom féminin singulierFeminine singular pronoun	Celle est à moi.The one is mine.
ceuxThose	Pronom masculin plurielMasculine plural pronoun	Ceux sont à moi.Those are mine.
cellesThose	Pronom féminin plurielFeminine plural pronoun	Celles sont à moi.Those are mine.
ceThis	Neutre impersonnelImpersonal neuter	C'est utile.It's useful.
ceciThis	Neutre procheNear neuter	Ceci est important.This is important.
celaThat	Neutre éloignéDistant neuter	Cela paraît clair.That seems clear.
çaThat	Neutre familierInformal neuter	Ça va bien.That’s going well.

When it accompanies a noun, the demonstrative is a demonstrative adjective and always comes before the noun. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it determines, as in the forms cette, ces, cet and ce. This function is distinguished from that of a pronoun, because the pronoun replaces the noun rather than preceding it. Constructions like [Pronoms Compléments] also require precise attention to the position of the element in the sentence.

Genre et nombreGender and number	FormeForm	ExempleExample
masculin singuliermasculine singular	ceThis	Ce film est long.This film is long.
masculin singulier devant voyellemasculine singular before a vowel	cetThis	Cet ami arrive.This friend arrives.
féminin singulierfeminine singular	cetteThis (feminine)	Cette route est courte.This road is short.
plurielplural	cesThese	Ces fleurs sont belles.These flowers are beautiful.

When it replaces a noun already mentioned, the demonstrative becomes a demonstrative pronoun and stands alone. It allows choosing between several referents or to reprise an element already identified, as in celui, celle, ceux and celles. The forms can carry a value of proximity with ci or distance with là, which allows contrasting two objects or two people in discourse.

FormeForm	ValeurValue	ExempleExample
celuiThe one	Masculin singulierMasculine singular	Celui que je veux est ici.The one I want is here.
celleThe one	Féminin singulierFeminine singular	Celle que je préfère est rouge.The one I prefer is red.
ceuxThose	Masculin plurielMasculine plural	Ceux qui arrivent sont amis.Those who arrive are friends.
cellesThose	Féminin plurielFeminine plural	Celles qui restent attendent.Those that remain are waiting.
celui ciThis one	Proximité masculineMasculine proximity	Celui ci est plus petit.This one is smaller.
celle làThat one there	Distance féminineFeminine distance.	Celle là est plus ancienne.That one there is older.
ceux ciThese ones	Proximité pluriellePlural proximity	Ceux ci sont neufs.These ones are new.
celles làThose there	Distance pluriellePlural distance	Celles là sont anciennes.Those there are old.

The neutral form ce appears in impersonal constructions and in very frequent structures such as c’est, ce qui and ce que. Before a vowel, ce elides to c', which produces a natural graphic and phonetic liaison in speech. In informal language, ça often replaces cela and sometimes ceci, while ceci remains more frequent in writing or in a formal register. Depending on the construction, French may prefer ce, il or elle, but the choice then depends more on syntax than on meaning.

UsageUsage	FormeForm	ExempleExample
impersonnelImpersonal	ceThis	C'est intéressant.It's interesting.
sujet de relativeSubject of the relative clause	ce quiWhat	Ce qui plaît est simple.What pleases is simple.
complément de relativeRelative clause complement	ce queWhat	Ce que tu dis est vrai.What you say is true.
familierInformal	çaThat	Ça marche bien.That works well.
procheNear	ceciThis	Ceci explique tout.This explains everything.
éloignéDistant	celaThat	Cela devient clair.That becomes clear.

French demonstratives organize reference in three main ways: they show a noun with ce, cet, cette, and ces; they replace it with celui, celle, ceux and celles; and they also express a neutral form with ce, ceci, cela and ça. The agreement in gender and number remains essential, as does the distinction between the demonstrative adjective placed before the noun and the demonstrative pronoun used alone. Proximity with ci and distance with là add a useful nuance when several elements are in competition.