Demonstrative adjectives (in English, the words “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those”) are used with nouns to indicate specific items. They are known as demonstrative adjectives because they clearly indicate, or demonstrate, exactly what is meant.

Table 10-19

French Demonstrative Adjectives

In the singular, the meaning will be “this” or “that,” depending on the context of the individual sentence. The plural form, ces, represents “these” or “those.”

When the singular demonstrative adjective ce is used in front of a masculine noun that begins with a vowel, no vowel is dropped, and no contraction is formed. Instead, a “t” is added to the end of the adjective, and cet is used to separate the vowels. As a result, the linguistic challenge of pronouncing two vowels is addressed with liaison, with the final “t” sound running into the beginning of the noun.

In English, the correct choice between “this” and “that” is contextual. The meaning is determined from the circumstances in which the words are used. The French demonstrative adjective covers both meanings. However, when referring to two objects in relation to each other, a slightly different construction is used. In English, we can say “this book or that book” in a single sentence. Because the French adjective ce can have either meaning, some modification is needed to show which is which. With the noun you wish to indicate as “this,” just put ci after the noun, and put a hyphen between them. To indicate “that,” use là after the noun instead, also with a hyphen: