Understanding Demonstrative Pronouns
French demonstrative pronouns replace demonstrative adjectives + nouns to avoid repetition. They mean "this one," "that one," "these," "those."
Unlike demonstrative adjectives (ce, cette, ces), demonstrative pronouns stand alone and must agree with the gender and number of what they replace.
They cannot be used alone - they must be followed by -ci/-là, de, or a relative clause.
Examples
Ce livre est intéressant, celui-là aussi. (This book is interesting, that one too.)
Celui-là replaces ce livre-là
Cette voiture est chère, celle de Pierre est moins chère. (This car is expensive, Pierre's is less expensive.)
Celle replaces cette voiture
The Four Basic Forms
French demonstrative pronouns have four basic forms:
Basic Demonstrative Pronoun Forms
The four forms that agree with gender and number:
French Demonstrative Pronouns
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| celui | masculine singular | this one/that one (m.s.) |
| celle | feminine singular | this one/that one (f.s.) |
| ceux | masculine plural | these/those (m.p.) |
| celles | feminine plural | these/those (f.p.) |
Agreement Rules
Demonstrative pronouns agree with what they replace:
le livre → celui (masculine singular)
la voiture → celle (feminine singular)
les livres → ceux (masculine plural)
les voitures → celles (feminine plural)
With -CI and -LÀ (This/That Distinction)
To distinguish between "this" and "that," add -ci (here/near) or -là (there/far):
Examples
Quel livre préfères-tu? Celui-ci ou celui-là? (Which book do you prefer? This one or that one?)
Celui-ci = this one, celui-là = that one
Ces voitures sont belles, mais celle-ci est ma préférée. (These cars are beautiful, but this one is my favorite.)
Celle-ci = this one (feminine)
All Forms with -CI and -LÀ
Complete system with near/far distinctions:
Demonstrative Pronouns + CI/LÀ
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| celui-ci/celui-là | this one/that one (m.s.) | Je préfère celui-ci. (I prefer this one.) |
| celle-ci/celle-là | this one/that one (f.s.) | Celle-là est mieux. (That one is better.) |
| ceux-ci/ceux-là | these/those (m.p.) | Ceux-ci sont nouveaux. (These are new.) |
| celles-ci/celles-là | these/those (f.p.) | Celles-là sont vieilles. (Those are old.) |
Usage in Comparisons
Common in comparing two items:
Entre ces deux robes, je préfère celle-ci à celle-là. (Between these two dresses, I prefer this one to that one.)
Comparing two feminine items
Ces livres sont intéressants: celui-ci parle d'histoire, celui-là de science. (These books are interesting: this one talks about history, that one about science.)
Distinguishing between items
With DE (Possession/Relationship)
Demonstrative pronouns + de express possession or relationship:
Examples
Ma voiture et celle de Pierre (my car and Pierre's)
Celle de Pierre = Pierre's car
Tes livres et ceux de Marie (your books and Marie's)
Ceux de Marie = Marie's books
Possession Examples
Using demonstrative pronouns to show ownership:
Mon appartement est petit, celui de mes parents est grand. (My apartment is small, my parents' is big.)
Celui de mes parents = my parents' apartment
Nos idées et celles du professeur sont différentes. (Our ideas and the teacher's are different.)
Celles du professeur = the teacher's ideas
With Contractions
De contracts with articles as usual:
celui de + le professeur = celui du professeur
celle de + les étudiants = celle des étudiants
With Relative Clauses
Demonstrative pronouns can be followed by relative clauses (qui, que, dont, où):
Examples
Celui qui travaille réussit. (The one who works succeeds.)
Celui qui = the one who
Celle que tu vois là-bas est ma sœur. (The one you see over there is my sister.)
Celle que = the one that/whom
With Different Relative Pronouns
Examples with various relative pronouns:
QUI: Ceux qui étudient réussissent. (Those who study succeed.)
QUE: Celles que j'ai vues étaient belles. (Those I saw were beautiful.)
DONT: Celui dont je parle est mon ami. (The one I'm talking about is my friend.)
OÙ: Celle où nous allons est fermée. (The one where we're going is closed.)
General Statements
Using demonstrative pronouns for general statements:
Celui qui ne risque rien n'a rien. (He who risks nothing has nothing.)
General truth using celui qui
Celles qui travaillent dur réussissent. (Those who work hard succeed.)
General statement about women/feminine things
Special Forms: CE + Relative Pronouns
For neutral concepts, use ce + relative pronouns instead of celui/celle:
Examples
Ce qui m'intéresse, c'est la musique. (What interests me is music.)
Ce qui = what (subject)
Ce que je veux, c'est partir. (What I want is to leave.)
Ce que = what (object)
CE vs CELUI Distinction
When to use ce vs celui:
Specific reference: Celui qui parle est mon ami. (The one who speaks is my friend.)
General/abstract: Ce qui compte, c'est l'amour. (What matters is love.)
Demonstrative Pronouns vs Adjectives
Important distinction between demonstrative adjectives and pronouns:
Adjectives vs Pronouns
Key differences in usage:
Adjectives vs Pronouns
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective + Noun | ce livre | this book (adjective modifies noun) |
| Pronoun Alone | celui-ci | this one (pronoun replaces adjective + noun) |
| Must have suffix | celui-ci/-là/de/qui | pronouns need -ci/-là, de, or relative clause |
| Can stand alone | ce, cette, ces | adjectives can be used alone with nouns |
Side-by-Side Examples
Comparing adjectives and pronouns:
Adjective: J'aime ce livre. (I like this book.)
Pronoun: J'aime celui-ci. (I like this one.)
Adjective: Ces voitures sont chères. (These cars are expensive.)
Pronoun: Celles-là sont chères. (Those are expensive.)
Common Demonstrative Pronoun Mistakes
Here are frequent errors students make:
1. Using alone: Using celui/celle without -ci/-là, de, or relative clause
2. Wrong agreement: Not matching gender/number of replaced noun
3. Confusion with adjectives: Using adjectives instead of pronouns
4. Wrong relative pronoun: Incorrect relative pronoun after demonstrative
Examples
❌ Je préfère celui → ✅ Je préfère celui-ci
Wrong: must add -ci/-là, de, or relative clause
❌ Cette voiture et celui de Pierre → ✅ Cette voiture et celle de Pierre
Wrong: voiture is feminine, needs celle
❌ Celui-ci livre → ✅ Ce livre / Celui-ci
Wrong: don't mix adjectives and pronouns
❌ Celui que parle → ✅ Celui qui parle
Wrong: subject of relative clause needs qui