Four forms before the noun
A demonstrative adjective stands before a noun and points at it, like English this/that/these/those. French does not split near from far: ce livre is both “this book” and “that book”. The form follows the gender and number of the noun. The singular has three forms, the plural only one.
ce, cet, cette, ces
| Noun | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| masculine, before a consonant | ce livre | ces livres |
| masculine, before a vowel or silent h | cet homme | ces hommes |
| feminine, always | cette maison | ces maisons |
When you listen, cet and cette sound the same: [sɛt]. You can only tell the gender from the noun.
In sentences
Ce film est intéressant.
This film is interesting.
Cet hôtel est cher.
This hotel is expensive.
Cette idée est géniale !
This idea is brilliant!
Ces fleurs sont pour toi.
These flowers are for you.
Here or there: -ci and -là
To contrast this one here with that one there, add -ci (here) or -là (there) to the noun with a hyphen. The demonstrative itself stays the same.
ce livre-ci
this book here
cette maison-là
that house there
Time expressions with ce
As in English, French uses this for the current day and week: ce soir is this evening, so it means tonight.
ce matin
this morning
cet après-midi
this afternoon
ce soir
tonight
cette semaine
this week
