Indefinite Demonstrative Pronouns

Pronoms démonstratifs indéfinis

Ce, ça, ceci, cela
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Indefinite demonstrative pronouns, also called invariable demonstrative pronouns or neuter demonstrative pronouns, do not agree with the nouns they replace in gender or number. The noun being replaced may be

  • Abstract, such as a situation or concept
  • Something unnamed or unspecific

There are four French indefinite demonstrative pronouns, but two of them are used far more than the others.

Ce

Ce is most commonly used with the verb être, in the expression c’est and can mean it, this, or that.

Par exemple…

C’est le moment ou jamais !   It’s now or never!
C’était difficile à croire.   That was difficult to believe.

 The plural of c’est is ce sont. You cannot say ces sont, as ces is an adjective and therefore *must* be followed by a noun or adjective + noun.

Par exemple…

Ce sont mes couleurs préférées.   These are my favorite colors.

Ce can also be used with the verbs devoir and pouvoir + être.

Par exemple…

Ce doit être important.   This must be important.
Ce pourrait être une mauvaise idée.   This might be a bad idea.

Formally, especially in writing, ce may be used without a verb.

Par exemple…

Je suis allé au Japon, et ce en n’y connaissant personne.   I went to Japan (and this) without knowing anyone there.
Nous avons trouvé la solution, et pour ce nous avons été recompensés.   We found this solution, and for this we were rewarded.

 Remember that ce is also a demonstrative adjective.

Ceci and Cela

When followed directly by any other verb, or when devoir or pouvoir are followed by any verb other than être, the indefinite demonstrative pronoun is ceci or cela:

Par exemple…

Ceci va être difficile à croire.   This is going to be difficult to believe.
Cela me rappelle un film que j’ai vu l’année dernière.   That reminds me of a movie I saw last year.
Cela doit figurer sur le bon de commande.   That should be on the order form.

Ceci and cela can also be direct objects and indirect objects.

Par exemple…

S’il te plaît, mets ceci sur la table.   Please put this on the table.
J’ai pensé à cela hier.   I thought of that yesterday.

 Ceci is the contraction of ce + ici and means “this,” while cela is the contraction of ce + là and means “that.” That said, in reality two things tend to happen:

  1. Ceci is replaced by cela unless the distinction between “this” and “that” is important.
  2. Cela contracts to ça.

Ça

Other than in writing and formal speech, ceci and cela are usually replaced by ça.

Par exemple…

Ça va être difficile à croire.   This is going to be difficult to believe.
Ça me rappelle un film que j’ai vu l’année dernière.   That reminds me of a movie I saw last year.
S’il te plaît, mets ça sur la table.   Please put this on the table.
J’ai pensé à ça hier.   I thought of that yesterday.

 Related lessons

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French indefinite demonstrative pronouns

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2 Responses

  1. Caitlyn 24 May 2018 / 11:21

    Thank you so much for being the first person, lesson or website to communicate this in such a simple way i can finally understand!

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