Demonstrative pronouns (celui, celle, ce, ça)

Summary

Use celui / celle / ceux / celles to replace a previously mentioned noun; they are never used alone but completed by -ci/-là, by de, or by a relative clause. The neutral ce/c', ceci, cela and ça point to ideas or unnamed things.

Explanation

Demonstrative pronouns replace a noun that has already been mentioned or that is clear from context, so you do not have to repeat it: instead of « ma voiture et la voiture de Paul » you say « ma voiture et celle de Paul ». The variable pronoun has four forms that agree in gender and number with the noun replaced: celui (masculine singular), celle (feminine singular), ceux (masculine plural) and celles (feminine plural).

These four forms can never stand completely alone. They must be completed in one of three ways. First, with the suffixes -ci (nearer / this one) or -là (further / that one): « Je prends celui-ci. » (I'll take this one), « Celle-là est plus jolie. » In speech, -là is by far the more common and often neutral. Second, with de + a noun, to show possession or origin: « celui de Paul » (Paul's), « celles du nord » (the ones from the north). Third, with a relative clause: « celui qui parle » (the one who is speaking), « ceux que j'ai vus » (the ones I saw), « celle dont tu parles » (the one you are talking about).

Alongside these variable pronouns there is an invariable neutral series that does not replace a specific gendered noun but points to an idea, a situation, or a thing not yet named. The unstressed neutral pronoun is ce, elided to c' before a vowel; it is used above all with être: « C'est vrai. », « Ce sont mes amis. » It also appears before a relative pronoun: « ce qui me plaît », « ce que je veux » (treated in the indefinite-relatives rule).

The stressed neutral forms are ceci (this), cela (that) and, in everyday spoken French, ça — a reduced form of cela. They stand in for a whole idea or an unidentified object: « Cela m'étonne. » (That surprises me), « Prends ceci. » (Take this). In conversation ça dominates: « Ça marche ! » (It works! / Sounds good!), « Ça ne fait rien. » (It doesn't matter), « Qui a dit ça ? » Ceci/cela can also contrast two ideas, ceci pointing forward and cela backward.

The key contrast for learners is variable vs neutral. Use celui / celle / ceux / celles when you are replacing a definite, gendered noun and can complete it with -ci/-là, de, or a relative; use ce / ceci / cela / ça when you refer to something abstract, a whole clause, or an object you are not naming with a specific noun. Compare « Quelle robe ? Celle-ci. » (which dress — that specific one) with « Qu'est-ce que c'est ? Ça. » (what is it — this unnamed thing).

Examples

Ma voiture est vieille ; celle de Paul est neuve. — My car is old; Paul's is new. (celle (= la voiture) + de + noun shows possession.)

Quel gâteau veux-tu ? — Celui-là, s'il te plaît. — Which cake do you want? — That one, please. (celui + -là points to a specific item.)

Les étudiants qui travaillent réussissent ; ceux qui ne font rien échouent. — The students who work succeed; those who do nothing fail. (ceux + relative clause (qui …).)

Ce sont mes voisins ; c'est gentil de leur part. — These are my neighbours; it's kind of them. (Neutral ce/c' with être, not a specific gendered noun.)

Ça ne fait rien, on recommencera demain. — It doesn't matter, we'll start again tomorrow. (Spoken ça = reduced cela, referring to the whole situation.)

Cela dit, je préfère celui-ci à celui-là. — That said, I prefer this one to that one. (Neutral cela vs variable celui-ci / celui-là in one sentence.)

Common mistakes

Prerequisites

• Demonstrative adjectives (ce / cet / cette / ces)

Related rules

• Demonstrative adjectives (ce / cet / cette / ces)
• Relative pronouns (qui / que / dont / où)
• c'est vs il est
• Possessive pronouns (le mien, le tien)