Grammar: Pronouns - Demonstrative

Grammar: Pronouns - Demonstrative

Section: Demonstrative Pronouns

• Demonstrative pronouns indicate specific things or people already known and their meaning depends on the context. They must match in both gender and number with the noun they replace.

• Four demonstrative pronouns to remember are: celui (that one, masculine singular), celle (that one, feminine singular), ceux (those ones, masculine plural), celles (those ones, feminine plural).

• Demonstrative pronouns are mostly used on their own, but can also be followed by de or que to form specific structures, such as celui de, celle que, etc. Example: J’aime ce chapeau. Celui de Pierre est beau aussi. translates to I like this hat. Pierre’s one is also nice.

Section: Distinction between “this one” and “that one”

• To distinguish between “this one” or “that one” and “these ones” or “those ones”, you can add “-ci” (here) and “-là” (there) to the demonstrative pronoun. For example, celui-ci means this one here and celui-là means that one there.

• Demonstrative pronouns with -ci and -là are used to compare and contrast items within the same category.

Section: Usage with Relative Clauses

• Demonstrative pronouns are often used in combination with relative clauses, which provide additional detail about the referred noun. Example: L’homme qui parle, c’est celui que j’aime. translates to The man who is talking is the one that I love.