Language/French/Grammar/Demonstrative-pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns

TABLE Summary table of demonstrative pronouns

Use of Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used where English uses 'the one'. They agree in gender with the noun they refer to:

• Sur ce mur nous voyons deux portraits. Celui qui est à droite représente le premier propriétaire de la maison

On this wall we see two portraits. The one on the right is of the first owner of the house

• Nous avons acheté trois propriétés en Dordogne. Celle qui est près de Bergerac sera revendue la première

We have bought three properties in the Dordogne. The one near Bergerac will be resold first

Demonstrative pronouns are used particularly frequently to 'head' relative clauses:

• Ceux qui m'écoutent ce soir sauront que je n'ai rien à cacher

Those who are listening to me tonight will know that I have nothing to hide

• Je ne peux rien faire pour vous: il faut vous adresser à celui qui est responsable de l'administration

I can do nothing for you: you must talk to the person who is responsible for administration

Related Lessons

• Negations
• Directly transitive verbs without objects
• "C'est" or "Ce sont"
• Verbs with personal subject used impersonally
• Common Mistakes
• Stressed pronouns with ne — que and ni — ni — ne
• Verbs which take noun + adjective or noun + noun complements
• Meaning of tout à l'heure
• Impersonal Verbs
• Subject verb agreement — Verb “être”
• Subject verb agreement — Verb agreement with collective noun subjects
• Adjectives which follow verbs or verbal expressions
• The plural of compound nouns
• How to tell the time
• Double object constructions with no preposition