Lesson 24: This & That (ce, cet, cette, ces)
Ce, cet, cette, ces — Pointing at Things · A0 → A1 · Part 3 · Food, Shopping & Going Out
You will point at things in French with ce, cet, cette and ces, and understand that French does not separate 'this' from 'that'. You will also compare two things with plus… que, moins… que and aussi… que, and handle a full shopping conversation from start to finish.
In this lesson
- demonstrative adjectives
- comparing things
- shopping dialogue
Vocabulary
| French | Meaning | Say it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ce livre | this / that book | suh leev-r سُہ لیور | CE + masculine noun. 'Livre' is masculine, and it starts with a consonant, so ce is the right form. |
| cet homme | this / that man | set om سیت اوم | CET + masculine noun starting with a vowel or silent h. The h of homme is silent, so we need cet. |
| cette maison | this / that house | set meh-zon سیت میزوں | CETTE + any feminine noun, whatever letter it starts with. It sounds exactly like 'cet' — you only see the difference in writing. |
| ces chaussures | these / those shoes | say sho-sür * سے شوسُور * | CES + any plural noun, masculine or feminine. Pronounced 'say' — exactly like the verb 'c'est'. |
| ce livre-ci | this book (the one here) | suh leev-r see سُہ لیور سی | -ci comes from 'ici' (here). Add it only when you must show which one you mean. |
| ce livre-là | that book (the one there) | suh leev-r la سُہ لیور لا | -là comes from 'là' (there). Use -ci and -là as a pair: this one here, that one there. |
| plus cher que | more expensive than | plü shehr kuh * پلُو شیر کُو * | The 'u' is the tight French u. The final s of plus is silent before a consonant. |
| moins cher que | less expensive than / cheaper than | mwan shehr kuh مواں شیر کُو | The 'oin' is nasal: 'mwan'. Moins = less. Do not confuse it with 'moins le quart' (quarter to) from lesson 23. |
| aussi beau que | as beautiful as | o-see bo kuh اوسی بو کُو | 'aussi' here is the 'as… as' of comparison — not the 'aussi' that means 'also'. Context makes it clear. |
| meilleur | better (masculine) | meh-yur * مییُر * | The irregular comparative of 'bon'. Never say 'plus bon'. The 'll' is a 'y' sound: 'meh-YUR'. |
| la meilleure | the best (feminine) | la meh-yur لا مییُر | With the definite article it becomes the superlative: le meilleur, la meilleure, les meilleurs, les meilleures. |
| le meilleur restaurant | the best restaurant | luh meh-yur res-to-ran لُہ مییُر ریستوراں | Recycles le restaurant from lesson 20. The adjective goes after the noun, like most French adjectives. |
| le pull | the jumper / sweater | luh pül * لُہ پُل * | Masculine (le). The u is the tight French u — lips rounded, tongue saying 'ee'. Not 'pool'. |
| la jupe | the skirt | la zhüp * لا ژُوپ * | Feminine (la). The 'j' is the 'zh' sound and the u is tight: 'zhüp'. The final e is silent. |
| les lunettes | the glasses (spectacles) | lay lü-net لے لُونیت | Feminine plural (les). Always plural in French, like 'chaussures'. 'des lunettes' = a pair of glasses. |
| le vendeur / la vendeuse | the salesman / the saleswoman | luh van-dur / la van-duz لُہ واندُر / لا واندوز | Masculine le vendeur, feminine la vendeuse. Same pattern as serveur / serveuse from lesson 20. |
Pronunciation
| Word | Sounds like | Slowly | How to make the sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| ce livre | suh leev-r | suh ... leev-r | 'ce' is a very short, weak 'suh'. The e is almost swallowed. Never say 'say' for ce — that is 'ces'. |
| cet homme | set om | set ... om | The h of homme is silent, so cet links straight onto the vowel: 'se-TOM'. It sounds identical to 'cette' — only the spelling is different. |
| cette maison | set meh-zon | set ... meh-zon | The 'on' of maison is nasal — air through the nose, no closing n. Keep 'cette' short and light. |
| ces chaussures | say sho-sür | say ... sho-sür | 'ces' is exactly the same sound as 'c'est'. The 'ch' is a 'sh' sound and the u of chaussures is the tight French u. |
| ce livre-ci / ce livre-là | suh leev-r-see / suh leev-r-la | suh leev-r see / suh leev-r la | The -ci and -là attach to the noun, not to 'ce'. Say the noun and the tag as one word: 'leev-r-SEE', 'leev-r-LA'. |
| plus cher que | plü shehr kuh | plü ... shehr ... kuh | The u is the tight French u, and the final s of plus is silent before a consonant. 'que' is a weak 'kuh'. |
Lesson 24 sound focus: ce, cet and cette all start with the same light 's' sound, and ces sounds exactly like c'est. Say the phrase as one block and let the noun carry the stress.
Grammar
Les adjectifs démonstratifs — ce, cet, cette, ces
The demonstrative adjective means 'this' or 'that'. French chooses it by GENDER and NUMBER, not by distance. ce + masculine noun (ce livre, ce café, ce pantalon); cet + masculine noun beginning with a vowel or a silent h (cet homme, cet arbre, cet ordinateur); cette + any feminine noun (cette maison, cette robe, cette table); ces + any plural noun (ces livres, ces chaussures). There is ONE crucial warning: ce does NOT tell you whether the thing is near or far. 'Ce livre' can mean this book or that book — you decide from the situation, from your hand, or from your eyes. If you really must separate them, French adds -ci (here) or -là (there): ce livre-ci / ce livre-là, cette robe-ci / cette robe-là. Also remember that cet and cette sound exactly the same — the difference is only in writing.
Comparer — plus… que, moins… que, aussi… que
To compare two things, French puts the comparison word in front of the adjective and QUE after it. Plus cher que = more expensive than. Moins cher que = less expensive than. Aussi cher que = as expensive as. The pattern never changes: plus / moins / aussi + adjective + que + the second thing. Un pull est plus cher que une chemise. Cette robe est aussi belle que cette jupe. There is one famous irregularity: the adjective BON does not become 'plus bon', it becomes MEILLEUR (better): Ce restaurant est meilleur que l'autre. And with le, la, les in front, meilleur means 'the best': le meilleur restaurant, la meilleure robe, les meilleures chaussures.
Examples
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Ce livre est intéressant, mais cet homme est bizarre. | This book is interesting, but this man is strange. | suh leev-r eh an-tay-reh-san, meh set om eh bee-zar |
| Cette maison est très grande. | This house is very big. | set meh-zon eh treh grand |
| Ces chaussures sont trop chères. | These shoes are too expensive. | say sho-sür son tro shehr |
| Tu préfères ce pull-ci ou ce pull-là ? | Do you prefer this jumper or that one? | tü pray-fehr suh pül-see oo suh pül-la |
| Cette robe est plus chère que cette jupe. | This dress is more expensive than this skirt. | set rob eh plü shehr kuh set zhüp |
| Le métro est moins cher que le taxi. | The metro is cheaper than the taxi. | luh may-tro eh mwan shehr kuh luh tak-see |
| Ce restaurant est aussi bon que l'autre. | This restaurant is as good as the other one. | suh res-to-ran eh o-see bon kuh lot-r |
| C'est le meilleur café de la ville. | It's the best café in town. | say luh meh-yur ka-fay duh la veel |
| Ces lunettes sont les meilleures. | These glasses are the best. | say lü-net son lay meh-yur |
| Vous avez le pantalon en noir ? | Do you have the trousers in black? | voo za-vay suh pan-ta-lon an nwar |
| Ce pull est moins cher, mais cette veste est meilleure. | This jumper is cheaper, but this jacket is better. | suh pül eh mwan shehr, meh set vest eh meh-yur |
| Cet après-midi, je vais au marché. Ces pommes sont les meilleures. | This afternoon I'm going to the market. These apples are the best. | set a-pre-mee-dee, zhuh vay o mar-shay, say pom son lay meh-yur |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît. C'était le meilleur dessert ! | The bill, please. It was the best dessert! | la-dee-syon, seel voo pleh, say-teh luh meh-yur day-sehr |
| Excusez-moi, où est cette boutique ? Il est déjà cinq heures et demie. | Excuse me, where is this shop? It's already half past five. | ex-kü-zay mwa, oo eh set boo-teek, eel eh day-zha sank ur ay duh-mee |
Dialogue: Dernier jour des soldes
In French shops 'les soldes' are legally fixed sale periods twice a year. When the shopkeeper says 'Je vous laisse regarder', it means 'take your time, I'm here if you need me'.
| French | English | Say it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendeur | Bonjour ! Je peux vous aider ? | Hello! Can I help you? | bon-zhoor, zhuh puh voo zay-day |
| Cliente | Oui. Ces lunettes sont très jolies. C'est combien ? | Yes. These glasses are very pretty. How much are they? | wee, say lü-net son treh zho-lee, say kom-byan |
| Vendeur | Quarante euros. Regardez aussi cette jupe-là, elle est moins chère. | Forty euros. Also look at that skirt there, it's cheaper. | ka-rant ü-ro, ruh-gar-day o-see set zhüp-la, el eh mwan shehr |
| Cliente | Cette jupe-ci est plus jolie que cette jupe-là. | This skirt here is prettier than that skirt there. | set zhüp-see eh plü zho-lee kuh set zhüp-la |
| Vendeur | D'accord, mais ce pull est le meilleur du magasin ! | All right, but this jumper is the best in the shop! | da-kor, meh suh pül eh luh meh-yur dü ma-ga-zan |
| Cliente | Il est trop cher pour moi. Je prends cette jupe-ci et ces lunettes. | It's too expensive for me. I'll take this skirt and these glasses. | eel eh tro shehr poor mwa, zhuh pran set zhüp-see ay say lü-net |
| Vendeur | Très bien. C'est soixante-dix euros en tout. Vous prenez la carte ? | Very good. That's seventy euros in total. Are you paying by card? | treh byan, say swa-sant-dees ü-ro an too, voo pruh-nay la kart |
| Cliente | Oui. Merci beaucoup, c'était le meilleur magasin ! | Yes. Thank you very much, it was the best shop! | wee, mehr-see bo-koo, say-teh luh meh-yur ma-ga-zan |
Say it out loud
- Ce livre est très bien. — This book is very good. Weak 'suh' for ce — never 'say'.
- Cet homme est mon voisin. — This man is my neighbour. Link it: se-TOM.
- Cette robe est magnifique. — This dress is magnificent. cette and cet sound the same — do not try to make them different.
- Ces chaussures sont trop chères. — These shoes are too expensive. Say 'say' exactly like 'c'est'.
- Cette jupe est moins chère que cette robe. — This skirt is cheaper than this dress. Keep 'moins cher que' in one flow: mwan-shehr-kuh.
- Ce pull est le meilleur. — This jumper is the best. 'meilleur' = meh-YUR. The ll is a y sound.
- Je prends le pantalon, merci. — I'll take these trousers here. The -ci attaches to the noun: pan-ta-lon-SEE.
- C'est le meilleur restaurant de la ville. — It's the best restaurant in town. Recycles le restaurant from lesson 20 and 'en ville' from earlier lessons.
Listening practice: Au marché, avec Léa
Bonjour ! Aujourd'hui, c'est samedi et il est dix heures. Je suis au marché avec ma sœur. Ces pommes-ci sont très bonnes, mais ces bananes-là sont moins chères. J'achète un kilo de pommes et un morceau de fromage. Ce fromage est le meilleur du marché. Après, nous allons au café. Le café de la gare est plus cher que ce café-ci. L'addition est de douze euros. C'était très bon !
Hello! Today is Saturday and it's ten o'clock. I'm at the market with my sister. These apples here are very good, but those bananas there are cheaper. I buy a kilo of apples and a piece of cheese. This cheese is the best in the market. Afterwards, we go to the café. The café at the station is more expensive than this café here. The bill is twelve euros. It was very good!
Questions
- What day is it? Sunday / Saturday / Monday → Saturday
- Which fruit is cheaper? The apples / The bananas / Both are the same → The bananas
- What does the speaker buy? A kilo of apples and a piece of cheese / A kilo of bananas and bread / A bottle of water and a salad → A kilo of apples and a piece of cheese
- Which café is more expensive? The café at the station / This café here / They cost the same → The café at the station
- How much is the bill? Two euros / Twelve euros / Twenty euros → Twelve euros
Remember this
- ce + masculine: ce livre, ce café, ce pull.
- cet + masculine starting with a vowel or silent h: cet homme, cet arbre, cet ami.
- cette + any feminine noun: cette maison, cette robe, cette table.
- ces + any plural noun: ces livres, ces chaussures.
- ce / cet / cette / ces mean both 'this' and 'that'. French does not separate them by distance.
- To be precise, add -ci (here) or -là (there): ce livre-ci / ce livre-là.
- Comparing: plus … que, moins … que, aussi … que.
- bon → meilleur (better), and le / la / les meilleur(e)(s) = the best. Never 'plus bon'.
- The adjective always agrees: cette robe est aussi belle que cette jupe.
- Recycled: le pull, la jupe, les lunettes, les chaussures, le restaurant, la caisse, l'addition, et il est dix heures.
Common mistakes
| Instead of | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ce homme | cet homme | Before a masculine noun starting with a vowel or silent h, ce becomes cet — exactly like the a/an rule in English. |
| ce maison | cette maison | The demonstrative follows the gender of the noun. Maison is feminine, so it must be cette. |
| ces livre | ces livres | Ces is used with plural nouns only, so the noun needs its plural -s. |
| plus bon que | meilleur que | Bon has an irregular comparative: meilleur. 'Plus bon' sounds wrong to a French ear. |
| Cette robe est plus chère que cette jupe for 'cheaper' | Cette robe est moins chère que cette jupe. | Plus adds, moins subtracts. Mixing them reverses the whole comparison. |
Practice questions
- Which is correct before a masculine noun beginning with a vowel? ce homme / cet homme / cette homme / ces homme — cet homme
- Complete: ___ maison est grande. ce / cet / cette / ces — cette
- 'ces' is used with: masculine singular nouns / feminine singular nouns / plural nouns (both genders) / nouns starting with a vowel — plural nouns (both genders)
- What does 'ce' tell you about distance? It means 'this' only / It means 'that' only / Nothing — French does not distinguish here / It means something very far away — Nothing — French does not distinguish here
- How do you say 'this book here' when you need to be very clear? ce livre-ci / ce livre-là / cette livre / ces livre — ce livre-ci
- 'plus cher que' means: cheaper than / more expensive than / as expensive as / the most expensive — more expensive than
- Complete: Le pull est ___ que la veste (the jumper is LESS expensive). plus cher / moins cher / aussi cher / meilleur — moins cher
- Which is the correct comparative of 'bon'? plus bon / meilleur / bons / bonnement — meilleur
- Complete: Cette robe est ___ que cette jupe (as pretty as). plus belle / moins belle / aussi belle / meilleure — aussi belle
- In 'cet homme est grand', why do we use 'cet' and not 'ce'? Because homme is feminine / Because homme begins with a silent h / Because it is plural / Because homme is a special word — Because homme begins with a silent h
Homework (15 minutes)
1) Listen and repeat all 16 items and the 6 pronunciation drills. 2) Point at 8 objects in your room and write a sentence for each with the correct demonstrative (ce / cet / cette / ces). Include at least one -ci and one -là. 3) Write 4 comparisons about real things in your life using plus… que, moins… que and aussi… que, then add one sentence with meilleur. 4) Re-read the shop dialogue out loud twice, playing both roles, and record the second run.
Lesson 24 of 45 · Part 3 · Food, Shopping & Going Out · See the full A0 → A2 roadmap · Français A0 → A2