Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things and sometimes show whether something is near or far. They help listeners know exactly what you mean.
Basic Demonstrative Pronouns
The basic demonstrative pronouns in French are celui, celle, ceux and celles, and they agree in gender and number with the thing they point to.
| Gender | Number | French Pronoun | English Equivalent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Singular | celui | the one / that one | |
| Feminine | Singular | celle | the one / that one | |
| Masculine | Plural | ceux | the ones / those | |
| Feminine | Plural | celles | the ones / those |
Examples
I prefer the one (f.) with the red label.
| French Pronoun | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| celui | the one (m.) | |
| celle | the one (f.) | |
| ceux | the ones (m. or m+f) | |
| celles | the ones (f.) |
Distinctions with -ci and -là
Adding -ci makes the demonstrative pronoun refer to something nearby, while -là points to something more distant. This distinction is useful in conversations when you physically indicate or mentally separate two things.
| French Ending | English Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| -ci | this / these (near) | |
| -là | that / those (far) |
Examples
Demonsrative Pronouns with Modifiers
Demonstrative pronouns can be followed by relative clauses introduced by qui, que, or dont to add information about the thing pointed to. This turns the pronoun into a more precise tool for picking out one item among many.
Examples
Neutre Demonstrative : Ce, Cela, Ça
Use ce for more abstract or general references, especially before verbs or when introducing an idea, and use cela or ça for turning attention to an action or when replacing a longer phrase. Ça is the colloquial short form of cela.
| French Pronoun | Usage | English Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ce | before verbs like être | it / that | |
| cela | formal or neutral | that | |
| ça | informal (spoken French) | that / it |
Examples
Demonstrative Pronouns with Modifiers
Demonstrative pronouns can be followed by relative clauses introduced by qui, que, or dont to add information about the thing pointed to. This turns the pronoun into a more precise tool for picking out one item among many.
| French Structure | English Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| celui qui... | the one who... | |
| celle que... | the one that... | |
| ceux dont... | the ones whose... |
Examples
Summary
Demonstrative pronouns point to specific things and can show distance with -ci and -là. Use relative clauses to add detail, choose ce for neutral references, and pick ça or cela based on formality.
Demonstrative Pronouns with Suffixes
Demonstrative pronouns can take suffixes like -ci and -là to show whether the thing is closer or farther away, and these suffixes help make the distinction clear.
| French Ending | English Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| -ci | this/these (near) | |
| -là | that/those (far) |
Pronouns like celui qui, celle que
You can add relative clauses to demonstrative pronouns, turning them into expressions like celui qui or celle que, which point to a specific thing and then give more information about it.
The Neutre Pronoun ce
Use ce as a neutral demonstrative when referring to an idea, a situation, or when introducing a clause with est or other verbs, rather than pointing to a specific noun.
Pronouns cela and ça
Cela and ça both mean "that," but ça is more informal and is often used in speech, while cela sounds more formal or literary.
| French Pronoun | English Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| cela | that (formal) | |
| ça | that (informal) |
Demonstrative Adjectives vs Pronouns
Remember that demonstrative adjectives like ce, cet, cette and ces come before a noun, while demonstrative pronouns like celui and celle stand alone and replace a noun.
| Type | French Form | English Function | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective | ce / cet / cette / ces | points to a noun | |
| Pronoun | celui / celle / ceux / celles | replaces a noun |
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025