# FR: ce / cet / cette



## sandera

_Ce, ci, cet, cette_

Bonjour,

Is there an easy to learn rule for using the above....meaning "this"

Merci
S.


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## eyesofsky

Masculine object: ce (_ce chien)_
Masculine object beginning in vowel or h: cet_ (cet homme)_
Feminine object: cette_ (cette femme)_

The "ci" is used if you want to say "this one (here)"
e.g. cet homme-ci / ceci

We'll wait to check with a french person though...


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## JeanDeSponde

Perfect - no real need to wait for a native, Eyesofsky...

Maybe a few remarks :
Indeed, in front of a vowel, always _cet_ (_cet avocat_); but, before a word beginning with _h_, use _cet_ only if the _h_ is said "non aspiré", i.e. if it doesn't show. It depends on words; no rule there.
In _homme _: non aspiré, hence _cet homme_; you pronounce _un n-homme_ (liaison)
In _haricot, héros : _aspiré; hence _ce haricot, ce héro_; say_ un haricot (sans liaison)
_
As for _ci : _it is an insistent form you could translate by very : _cet homme-ci_, i.e. _this very man._


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## nickswicks

I am sure this is a basic rule, but how do I know whether to say: "ce travail" or "cet travail"...It is for the beginning of an academic essay.
Merci d'avance!


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## DearPrudence

*ce + masculine noun ** - _ce chien_
*cette + feminine noun* - _cette femme_
*ces = plural noun *- _ces oranges_

**cet + masculine noun* beginning with a vowel or not aspirated h:
_cet enfant, cet homme_

Now make the right choice


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## 3verlasting

I have a problem deciding when to use what..
I am aware that some are simply different in terms of their gender, but what about 'ce' and 'cela'?
How do we know when to use 'cet' or 'ce'?
Do they have different meanings? Different tense?
Thank you in advance!


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## samcluk

Ce - "this [masculine noun]"
Cet - "this [masculine noun beginning with vowel or h]"
Cette - "this [feminine noun]"

I am not quite clear on _cela_ myself, sorry!


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## zappbrannigan

Salut! J'ai une question: what's the difference between 'cette' and 'ce'? (Is one female, and the other male? Mon professeur told me that there's no female version for 'ce', though I'm not too sure since I've had indications otherwise from other places - haven't had a chance to ask her though). And is it correct that there's no difference between 'this' and 'that' in French? How does one differentiate between 'this object' and 'that object' then in French?

Merci beaucoup pour l'aide! 

(By the way, as one might surmise, I am a beginner, so would appreciate replies in English haha! Or very, very simple French in present tense and no adjectives - otherwise I wouldn't be able to understand  Merci!)


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## Fred_C

Hi,
You are right.
"Ce" is the masculine version, and "cette" is the feminine one. You must chose the right word according to the noun that comes after it
There is a third word : "cet", (pronounced like the English "set", or like the French "cette", that is the masculine form when the noun that comes after begins with a vowel.)

Now for the difference between "this" and "that", you cannot make it if you use just the words "ce, cet, cette".
If you want to make a difference, you must use the complete form of those adjectives : "Ce -ci", "cet-ci", and "cette -ci" meaning "this", and "ce -là", "cet -là", "cette -là", meaning "that".
Those adjectives consist in two words each, their use is easy : Put the first word before the noun, the last one after the noun. (The second word never agrees in gender.)

So, "this book" is "ce livre-ci", "that book" is "ce livre-là", "this object" is "cet objet-ci", and "that cup" is "cette tasse-là", for example.

As a beginner, you do not need to remember the complete forms of the demonstrative adjectives right now, because their use is somewhat rare.

Bon courage!


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## brookguy

Hello everyone...which would be gramatically correct? Ce énorme canapé OR cet énorme canapé. I know that *cet* is reserved for masculine sing nouns with a vowel or silent h..but it seems to me that cet énorme canapé would read and sound better because of the adjective beginning with a vowel?? Thanks for your help.


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## Gargamelle

You would use "cet," as you suspected.  "Cet" is used with masculine singular nouns beginnning with a vowel or silent H _or masculine adjectives beginning with a vowel or silent h, if they come before the masculine noun.  _(In the latter case, it doesn't matter what the noun begins with.  "Cet" is a "sound thing," as you said; a question of phonetics more than grammar.



Bonne chance,

Gargamelle


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## Gil

"cet énorme canapé" est correct


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## frenchlady

exact : cet énorme canapé


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## Durandal

"I know that *cet* is reserved for masculine sing nouns with a vowel or silent h."

Thus it's the good choice : *cet* énorme canapé...


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## phillyitalianstudent

Which is correct, _ce weekend_ or _cet weekend_?


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## Maître Capello

The former is the right answer since _week-end_ doesn't start with a vowel. 

_ce week-end_


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## Sunflower558

Hi there,

Is it Cet or Ce in the following sentence?

Je suis désolée que vous avez reçu *cet* mail en anglais.

Many Thanks


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## SwissPete

Is it Cet  or Ce  in the following sentence?


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## alaahamid76

salut mes amis,


on dit _cet élève et cet enfant_, même-si on fait référence à un nom au féminin? _cette élève_ n'existe pas, non?
Example 
► Choisis la réponse juste :-
1-…… élève est forte en arabe. ( Ce - cet - Cette )
2-…… enfant est belle. ( Ce - Cet - Cette )

merci d'avance


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## Maître Capello

Les mots _élève_ et _enfant_ sont épicènes : ils peuvent s'employer au masculin ou au féminin sans changer d'orthographe. Mais tous les déterminants et adjectifs qui s'y rapportent doivent s'accorder en genre et en nombre avec le terme employé. Or comme dans votre exercice les adjectifs attributs sont féminins, les déterminants doivent nécessairement l'être aussi.

_*Cette* élève est for*te* en arabe_. / _*Cet* élève est for*t* en arabe_.
_*Cette* élève est be*lle*._ / _*Cet* élève est be*au*_.


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## janpol

"cette/cet" est l'un des nombreux moyens dont la langue française s'est dotée pour éviter les hiatus : ce élève s'appelle Pierre > 2 voyelles se suivent et se prononcent, on ajoute "t" pour les séparer.


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## LaLeeRu

Why is "cette édition" correct and not "cet édition"? I thought that cet is used before a vowel.


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## Maître Capello

_Ce_ and _Cet_ are both masculine while _cette_ is feminine. Since _édition_ is feminine, you need _cette_.

In a nutshell:

*ce* + singular *masculine* noun starting with a *consonant* (e.g., _ce *j*ournal_, _ce *h*ibou_)

*cet* + singular *masculine* noun starting with a *vowel or mute h* (e.g., _ce*t* *é*diteur_, _ce*t* h*o*rloger_) – Note: The _t_ is appended to _ce_ (→ _cet_) for the sake of euphony.

*cette* + any singular *feminine* noun (e.g., _cette rédactrice, cette édition_)
*ces* + any *plural* noun (e.g., _ces journaux, ces rédactrices, ces éditeurs, ces éditions_)


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## LaLeeRu

Oh wow! That was really helpful, thank you!


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