Demonstrative Adjectives: ce, cet, cette, ces

Demonstrative adjectives always sit right before a noun. They replace articles like le, la, or les. You can never use both at the same time. You wouldn't say "the this book" in English. French feels the same way. The word you choose depends on the noun's gender. You must know if the noun is masculine or feminine. You also need to know if it is singular or plural. French is very picky about how words sound together. Because of this, there is a special form for masculine words starting with vowels. It prevents a "vowel crash" that sounds clunky. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. It keeps the flow of the sentence smooth and musical. Once you know the noun's profile, picking the adjective is easy.

1. 1Selecting the right word follows a very logical path. Follow these steps every time you speak:
2. 2Check if the noun is plural. If it is, use ces for everything. It does not matter if it is masculine or feminine.
3. 3If the noun is singular and feminine, use cette. This works for all feminine nouns, even those starting with vowels.
4. 4If the noun is singular and masculine, look at the first letter.
5. 5Use ce if the masculine noun starts with a consonant like b, c, or d.
6. 6Use cet if the masculine noun starts with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or a silent h.
7. 7Always place the word directly before the noun or the adjective describing it.

Use these words whenever you need to be specific. Use them when physically pointing at an object in a store. Use them when talking about a specific time, like ce matin (this morning). They are perfect for referring back to something you just mentioned. If you just talked about a movie, call it ce film. Use them in professional settings, like an interview, to discuss ce poste (this position). They are essential for giving directions, like cette rue (this street). Use them to express your feelings about something specific. "I love this song!" is much more personal than "I love music." They bring your surroundings into your conversation. They bridge the gap between abstract ideas and the physical world.

Do not use these for general statements about categories. If you like dogs in general, say J'aime les chiens. If you are pointing at a specific puppy, say J'aime ce chien. Do not use them with possessive adjectives. You cannot say ce mon sac. It is either "this bag" or "my bag," never both. Avoid using them when you should be using c'est. If you want to say "This is a book," use C'est un livre. Demonstrative adjectives must be followed by a noun. They are not the subject of the sentence on their own. Finally, don't use them if you are talking about something far away in a way that requires a distinction from something close. French usually uses the same word for "this" and "that," so don't overthink the distance unless you add extra suffixes.

The most frequent trip-up is the word cet. Many people forget it exists. They try to say ce ami. This creates a tiny pause that French speakers dislike. Always use cet before a masculine vowel. Another common error is using ce for feminine nouns. Remember, cette is the only option for singular ladies. Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are in a hurry! Don't forget that ces is plural. Some people try to use ce for plural masculine nouns because they look similar. Ce is for one; ces is for many. Lastly, watch out for the silent h. Words like homme (man) or hôtel (hotel) need cet. Treat them like they start with a vowel. Think of cet as a polite person holding the door open for a vowel.

It is easy to confuse these with definite articles (le, la, les). Articles are for general identification. Demonstratives are for specific pointing. Le café is the coffee shop you go to every day. Ce café is the one you are standing in right now. Also, compare them to English. English has four distinct words: this, that, these, those. French only has three sounds: ce, cette, and ces (plus the vowel-helper cet). This means ce can mean both "this" and "that." If you really need to show distance, French adds -ci for near and -là for far. For example, ce livre-ci (this book here) versus ce livre-là (that book there). But in 90% of daily life, the basic word is enough. It is simpler than English in that way!