LinguaCe, cet, cette, ces: pointing at what you want
To point at a thing, French swaps the article for a demonstrative: ce pull (this jumper, that jumper), cette robe, ces chaussures. The form follows the noun. Masculine singular: ce – ce manteau, ce magasin. Feminine singular: cette – cette veste, cette boutique. Plural, both genders: ces – ces pulls, ces robes. One extra form for the ear: before a masculine noun starting with a vowel or a silent h, ce becomes cet – cet hôtel, cet homme, cet ami – and it sounds exactly like cette; only the spelling tells you the noun is masculine. French does not separate this and that: ce pull covers both. When you must contrast, attach -ci (here) or -là (there) to the noun: ce pull-ci ou ce pull-là ? You already use this word every day: ce soir, ce matin, ce week-end.
| Form | Used with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ce | a masculine singular noun before a consonant | ce manteau |
| cet | a masculine singular noun before a vowel or a silent h | cet hôtel |
| cette | a feminine singular noun | cette veste |
| ces | any plural noun | ces chaussures |
Ce manteau est trop grand, mais cette veste est très jolie.This coat is too big, but this jacket is very pretty.
Celui-ci, celle-là: choosing without repeating the noun
Once the noun has been said, you do not repeat it: a pronoun takes its place and its gender. Celui stands for a masculine singular (le pull), celle for a feminine singular (la robe), ceux for a masculine plural (les pulls), celles for a feminine plural (les robes). These pronouns never walk alone: they carry -ci for the one close to you and -là for the one further away. Quel pull tu prends ? – Celui-ci. Quelle robe ? – Celle-là. Quelles chaussures ? – Celles-ci. In a shop it is the fastest way to point: Je prends celui-là. You can add a detail after a comma: celle-ci, la rouge (this one, the red one).
| Noun replaced | This one (near) | That one (further) |
|---|---|---|
| le pull | celui-ci | celui-là |
| la robe | celle-ci | celle-là |
| les pulls | ceux-ci | ceux-là |
| les robes | celles-ci | celles-là |
– Vous prenez quel pull ? – Celui-là, le gris, s’il vous plaît.– Which jumper are you taking? – That one, the grey one, please.
Combien ça coûte ? The price, the till and the shop dialogue
The price is le prix, and the verb is coûter, a regular -er verb that agrees with the thing: Combien coûte ce pull ? but Combien coûtent ces chaussures ? In quick speech, Ça coûte combien ? or simply C’est combien ? The answer: Il coûte quarante euros. Then you judge: c’est cher, c’est trop cher, ce n’est pas cher, or c’est bon marché – cheap, an expression that never changes. In January and July come les soldes: cette veste est en soldes, moins trente pour cent. At the till, la caisse, the question is Vous payez comment ? – Par carte or en espèces (cash). You get la monnaie, your change, and le reçu, the receipt. The whole visit fits in five lines. Door: Bonjour, je peux vous aider ? – Non merci, je regarde. or Oui, je cherche une veste. Till: Voilà votre monnaie et votre reçu. Bonne journée ! Two words for the place: le magasin is any shop, la boutique a small one, usually clothes.
| Step | What is said | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| at the door | Bonjour, je peux vous aider ? | Hello, can I help you? |
| just looking | Non merci, je regarde. | No thanks, I am just looking. |
| looking for something | Je cherche une veste, taille quarante. | I am looking for a jacket, size forty. |
| at the till | Vous payez comment ? – Par carte. | How are you paying? – By card. |
| leaving | Voilà votre monnaie et votre reçu. | Here is your change and your receipt. |
– Combien coûte cette chemise ? – Trente euros, madame, elle est en soldes.– How much does this shirt cost? – Thirty euros, madam, it is on sale.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ce | this, that (masculine singular) | Ce pull est trop grand pour moi. This jumper is too big for me. |
| cette | this, that (feminine singular) | Cette jupe est en soldes ? Is this skirt on sale? |
| ces | these, those (plural) | Ces chaussures sont bon marché. These shoes are cheap. |
| celui-ci | this one (masculine) | – Quel manteau ? – Celui-ci, le noir. – Which coat? – This one, the black one. |
| celle-là | that one (feminine) | Je préfère celle-là, la robe rouge. I prefer that one, the red dress. |
| coûter | to cost | Ce manteau coûte cent euros. This coat costs a hundred euros. |
| cher | expensive (feminine: chère) | Les chaussures sont chères dans cette boutique. Shoes are expensive in this boutique. |
| bon marché | cheap, inexpensive | Le tee-shirt est bon marché : dix euros. The T-shirt is cheap: ten euros. |
| la carte | the card (bank card) | Je paie par carte, s’il vous plaît. I am paying by card, please. |
| les espèces | cash | Il paie toujours en espèces. He always pays in cash. |
| la monnaie | the change (money given back) | Voici votre monnaie, monsieur. Here is your change, sir. |
| le reçu | the receipt | Vous voulez le reçu, madame ? Would you like the receipt, madam? |
| les soldes | the sales | Les soldes commencent en janvier. The sales start in January. |
| le magasin | the shop, the store | Le magasin ferme à dix-neuf heures. The shop closes at seven p.m. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- fill the gap: 2
- match the pairs: 1
- build the sentence: 1
- translate the sentence: 2
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which form of the demonstrative goes before hôtel?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.