Two Families, One Job

English uses "this/that/these/those" for two different jobs: pointing at a noun ("this book") and standing in for a noun ("this one is better"). French uses a completely different word for each job. Demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) always sit in front of a noun. Demonstrative pronouns (celui, celle, ceux, celles) always replace a noun. Mixing the two up is one of the most common beginner errors — and one examiners notice quickly in TCF and DELF writing.

Demonstrative Adjectives: Ce, Cet, Cette, Ces

These four words all mean "this/that" or "these/those" and agree with the noun that follows them.

ce + masculine singular noun starting with a consonant: ce livre (this book)
cet + masculine singular noun starting with a vowel or mute h: cet ami, cet hôtel
cette + feminine singular noun (any first letter): cette voiture, cette amie
ces + any plural noun, masculine or feminine: ces livres, ces voitures

The switch from ce to cet before a vowel sound exists purely for pronunciation — French avoids two vowel sounds colliding, the same reason le becomes l'. Say cet arbre out loud and you'll hear why ce arbre would sound wrong.

Distinguishing "This" from "That" with -ci and -là

On their own, French demonstrative adjectives don't distinguish "this" from "that" — ce livre can mean either, and context usually makes it obvious. When you need to be precise, or you're contrasting two things, attach -ci (near) or -là (far) to the noun:

Je préfère ce livre-ci à ce livre-là. (I prefer this book to that book.)
Cette robe-ci est plus jolie que cette robe-là. (This dress is prettier than that one.)

Demonstrative Pronouns: Celui, Celle, Ceux, Celles

These pronouns replace a noun already mentioned, so you don't repeat it. They agree in gender and number with the noun they stand in for — never with anything else in the sentence.

celui — masculine singular ("this one / that one / the one")
celle — feminine singular
ceux — masculine plural
celles — feminine plural

Unlike demonstrative adjectives, these pronouns can almost never stand alone at the end of a sentence — they need something attached: -ci/-là, de + noun (possession), or qui/que + a clause.

Pattern 1: Celui-ci / Celui-là

J'ai deux sacs. Celui-ci est neuf, celui-là est vieux. (I have two bags. This one is new, that one is old.)

Pattern 2: Celui de + Noun (Showing Possession)

This is the pattern that replaces the clumsy English "mine/yours/his" construction and is extremely common in spoken and written French.

Ma voiture est rouge, celle de mon frère est bleue. (My car is red, my brother's is blue.)
Ce ne sont pas mes clés, ce sont celles de Marie. (These aren't my keys, they're Marie's.)

Pattern 3: Celui qui / que (Relative Clause)

Prends celui qui te plaît. (Take the one that you like.)
Ce sont ceux que j'ai achetés hier. (These are the ones I bought yesterday.)

The Neuter Forms: Ceci, Cela, Ça

When you're pointing at an idea, situation, or something with no specific gender — not a named noun — French uses invariable forms instead: ceci (this), cela (that, formal), and ça (that, everyday spoken French).

Ça m'étonne. (That surprises me.) — the everyday version
Cela dit, je suis d'accord. (That said, I agree.) — more formal, common in writing
Regardez ceci. (Look at this.) — introduces something about to be shown or said

In spoken French, ça dominates almost every context where cela would be grammatically correct. Save cela for formal writing, TCF/DELF essays, and email — it signals a more careful register.

Quick Decision Guide

Is a noun coming right after? → Use ce/cet/cette/ces.
Are you replacing a specific noun already mentioned? → Use celui/celle/ceux/celles + de, qui, que, -ci, or -là.
Are you pointing at an idea or situation, not a specific noun? → Use ça (spoken) or cela (formal).

Want to drill these patterns until they're automatic? Explore our French learning parcours for structured grammar practice.

French Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns: Ce, Cet, Cette, Ces vs Celui, Celle, Ceux, Celles