French demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) are used to point out specific nouns and must agree in gender and number. Here’s how they work:

1. Masculine Singular: ce / cet

• ce → Used before consonants.
  • Ce livre est intéressant. (This book is interesting.)
  • Ce garçon est mon frère. (That boy is my brother.)
• cet → Used before vowels or mute h.
  • Cet arbre est grand. (This tree is tall.)
  • Cet hôtel est cher. (That hotel is expensive.)

2. Feminine Singular: cette

• Used before all feminine singular nouns.
  • Cette voiture est rapide. (This car is fast.)
  • Cette fille est belle. (That girl is beautiful.)

3. Plural (Both Genders): ces

• Used for all plural nouns, masculine or feminine.
  • Ces chiens sont bruyants. (These dogs are noisy.)
  • Ces fleurs sont jaunes. (Those flowers are yellow.)

4. Adding -ci (here) and -là (there) for Clarity

To specify “this one here” or “that one there,” add:

• -ci → close to the speaker
  • Prends ce sac-ci. (Take this bag here.)
  • Je préfère cette chemise-ci. (I prefer this shirt here.)
• -là → farther away
  • Regarde cet homme-là. (Look at that man over there.)
  • Ces chaussures-là sont trop petites. (Those shoes there are too small.)

Summary:

• Always placed before the noun.
• Must match the noun in gender and number.
• -ci and -là are optional but help clarify distance.