demonstrative adjectives

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.

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