This deep dive covers Demonstrative Adjectives — ce/cet/cette/ces within Possessives and demonstratives: mon, ma, ce, cette for GCSE French. Revise Possessives and demonstratives: mon, ma, ce, cette in Core Grammar Toolkit for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 7 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Demonstrative Adjectives — ce/cet/cette/ces
Demonstrative adjectives mean this or that (and these/those in the plural). Like all French adjectives, they agree with the noun they accompany.
| Gender / Number | Form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | ce | ce livre | this/that book |
| Masc. singular before vowel/h | cet | cet homme, cet ami | this/that man, friend |
| Feminine singular | cette | cette maison | this/that house |
| Plural (m or f) | ces | ces livres, ces maisons | these/those books/houses |
⭐ Adding -ci and -là to Distinguish
French uses the same form for this and that. To distinguish, you can add -ci (here = this) or -là (there = that) after the noun with a hyphen.
| With -ci (this) | With -là (that) |
|---|---|
| ce livre-ci (this book) | ce livre-là (that book) |
| cette robe-ci (this dress) | cette robe-là (that dress) |
| ces chaussures-ci (these shoes) | ces chaussures-là (those shoes) |
Je préfère cette veste — ce manteau est trop cher.
I prefer this jacket — that coat is too expensive.
- cette agrees with veste (feminine); ce agrees with manteau (masculine)
- Context tells us whether ce/cette means this or that — no distinction needed unless using -ci/-là
J'aime cet acteur mais je n'aime pas ces films.
I like this actor but I don't like these films.
- cet → masculine singular noun beginning with a vowel (acteur)
- ces → plural form; same for masculine and feminine
Practice questions for Possessives and demonstratives: mon, ma, ce, cette
In French, a possessive adjective (e.g. mon, ma, son, sa) agrees with…
Which form of 'my' is correct in: '_____ sœur est sympa' (my sister is nice)?