What are demonstrative adjectives in French and how are they used?

Demonstrative adjectives in French grammar are used to point out or indicate specific nouns in relation to the speaker or the context. They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. There are four main demonstrative adjectives in French: "ce," "cette," "ces," and "ces." Here's how they are used:

 

1- Ce (Masculine Singular):

"Ce" is used before masculine singular nouns that begin with a consonant sound.

Example: Ce livre (This book), Ce garçon (This boy).

 

2- Cet (Masculine Singular):

"Cet" is used before masculine singular nouns that begin with a vowel sound.

Example: Cet arbre (This tree), Cet homme (This man).

 

3- Cette (Feminine Singular):

"Cette" is used before feminine singular nouns.

Example: Cette fille (This girl), Cette voiture (This car).

 

4- Ces (Plural):

"Ces" is used before both masculine and feminine plural nouns.

Example: Ces livres (These books), Ces filles (These girls).

 

Demonstrative adjectives are placed directly before the noun they modify. They help specify which noun is being referred to in the context of the sentence. It's important to note that demonstrative adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, unlike demonstrative pronouns, which do not agree in gender and number.

Published at 2024/02/26