A review of the differences in usage of the words Ce, Cette, Cet, & Ces for NCVPS French 2 students!

1. Ce, Cette, Cet, ou Ces?
Français 2 NCVPS

2. Ce, Cette, Cet, ou Ces?
When used all by themselves in front of a
noun, ce, cette, & cet all translate to the English
word “this.”
Ces translates to “these.”
So… how do you know which one to use?

3. Ce & Cet
You must use “ce” in front of most words that are
masculine and singular.
ce garçon = this boy ce crayon = this pencil
There is one small exception, you have to use “cet” in
front of words that are masculine, singular, and start
with a vowel (or the letter h).
cet homme = this man cet ami = this friend

4. Cette & Ces
Likewise, you must use “cette” in front of nouns that
are feminine and singular (it doesn’t matter if they
start with a vowel or not ).
cette fille = this girl cette maison = this house
And finally, you must use “ces” in front of all nouns
that are plural (regardless if they are masculine or
feminine).
ces garcons = these boys ces filles = these girls

5. Simple enough, right?
Finally, the words ce, cette, cet, and ces can be really helpful in French
because you can also pair them with the use of the words “ci” & “là” at the
end of the noun to be more specific!
Ce garçon = This boy
Ce garçon-ci = This boy (as in “this boy right here”)
Ce garçon-là = That boy
Cette fille = This girl
Cette fille-ci = This girl (“this girl right here”)
Cette fille-là = That girl
Ces enfants = These children
Ces enfants-ci = These children (“these children right here”)
Ces enfants-là = Those children

6. Last question!
Is there really a big difference in the meaning of
the following phrases…?
ce garcon & ce garcon-ci
cette fille & cette fille-ci
ces enfants & ces enfants-ci
Answer: No, not really! Adding “ci” onto the end of
the noun is just a bit more specific! 