French Demonstrative Pronouns Explained: Celui, Celle, Ceux, and Celles

Key takeaways

• French demonstrative pronouns (celui, celle, ceux, celles) mean this one, that one, these ones, or those ones, and replace a noun that has already been mentioned. They agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.
• These pronouns never stand alone in standard French: they must be followed by -ci/-là, a relative clause (qui, que), or a phrase with de (to indicate possession or belonging).
• Cela and ça refer to a thing, idea, or situation in general rather than a specific previously mentioned noun. Ça is the contracted, everyday spoken form; cela is more formal.
• The most common error is using celui-ci or celle-là where the relative clause form is required: celui qui (the one who/which) and celui que (the one that/whom) introduce information about the referent.

French learners who have mastered demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) often find demonstrative pronouns harder because the pronouns cannot stand alone: each form requires a complement. This constraint makes them more grammatically demanding but also more precise, they can specify both which item and what about it the speaker is referring to.

This guide covers all four demonstrative pronoun forms, the -ci/-là distinction, the de construction for possession, the relative clause constructions (celui qui, celui que), and the separate system of ceci, cela, ça.

The constraint that demonstrative pronouns cannot stand alone – every celui and celle needs a -ci/-là, a de phrase, or a relative clause – is easy to understand from a table and easy to forget the moment a real conversation requires choosing between options quickly.

italki has connected 10M+ learners with French teachers since 2007, giving learners access to teachers who use comparison and identification tasks to build pronoun use that holds up under conversational pressure, not just in exercises. Find a French tutor and practice choosing between demonstrative pronouns in real context: identifying, comparing, and describing options.

The four demonstrative pronoun forms

Form	Gender / Number	Meaning
celui	masculine singular	this one / that one
celle	feminine singular	this one / that one
ceux	masculine plural	these / those
celles	feminine plural	these / those

The pronoun agrees with the noun it replaces, not with any other noun in the sentence.

Examples:

French	English	Noun replaced
J’aime ce film mais celui de l’an dernier était meilleur.	I like this film but last year’s one was better.	le film (m. sg.)
J’ai lu cette lettre, pas celle d’hier.	I read this letter, not yesterday’s.	la lettre (f. sg.)
Ces résultats sont meilleurs que ceux de l’an passé.	These results are better than last year’s.	les résultats (m. pl.)
Ces chaussures sont moins chères que celles du magasin d’en face.	These shoes are cheaper than those at the shop across the street.	les chaussures (f. pl.)

Celui-ci and celui-là: the this/that distinction

When a demonstrative pronoun is used to contrast two things (this one vs. that one), the suffixes -ci (here, near) and -là (there, far) are added:

Form	Meaning
celui-ci / celle-ci / ceux-ci / celles-ci	this one / these ones (here, nearer)
celui-là / celle-là / ceux-là / celles-là	that one / those ones (there, further)

French	English
Je veux celui-ci, pas celui-là.	I want this one, not that one.
Ces deux robes sont belles. Celle-ci est plus élégante; celle-là est plus pratique.	Both dresses are beautiful. This one is more elegant; that one is more practical.
Prenez ces formulaires. Ceux-ci sont pour les résidents; ceux-là pour les visiteurs.	Take these forms. These are for residents; those are for visitors.

Important: Celui-ci and celui-là are not the same as celui qui and celui que. The -ci/-là forms make a physical or contextual near/far distinction; celui qui/que introduces a defining relative clause.

A French language tutor can run exercises where the learner must choose between options using celui-ci/celui-là, which builds the instinct for when to use each form in real conversation. italki has 30,000+ teachers across 150+ languages, including qualified French teachers who work on pronoun systems through communicative exercises.

Celui de: showing possession or belonging

The construction celui de (+ noun) replaces a noun to indicate belonging or origin. It functions similarly to the English the one belonging to / the one from.

French	English
Mon ordinateur est en panne. Je vais emprunter celui de Paul.	My computer is broken. I am going to borrow Paul’s.
Notre budget est plus serré que celui de nos concurrents.	Our budget is tighter than our competitors’.
Ces résultats sont meilleurs que ceux de l’année dernière.	These results are better than last year’s.
La cuisine de ce restaurant est meilleure que celle du restaurant en face.	The food at this restaurant is better than that of the one across the street.

The form of celui agrees with the noun it replaces: l’ordinateur (m.sg.) – celui; la cuisine (f.sg.) – celle; les résultats (m.pl.) – ceux.

Celui qui and celui que: relative clause forms

When a demonstrative pronoun is followed by a relative clause, the constructions are celui qui (the one who/which, subject of the relative clause) and celui que (the one that/whom, object of the relative clause).

Form	Function in relative clause	Example
celui qui	subject	Celui qui arrive en retard doit s’excuser. (The one who arrives late must apologise.)
celui que	object	Celui que tu as choisi est le meilleur. (The one you chose is the best.)
celle qui	subject (f.)	C’est celle qui a gagné le prix. (She is the one who won the prize.)
ceux qui	subject (m.pl.)	Ceux qui veulent partir peuvent partir. (Those who want to leave may leave.)
celles que	object (f.pl.)	Ce sont celles que j’ai commandées. (Those are the ones I ordered.)

The key distinction between qui and que:

• Qui is the subject of the relative clause: the pronoun performs the action.
• Que is the object: the pronoun receives the action, and the relative clause has its own subject.

Celui qui parle (the one who is speaking, the pronoun is speaking) Celui que tu connais (the one that you know, you know the pronoun, the pronoun is the object)

For the demonstrative adjective forms (ce, cet, cette, ces) that precede nouns rather than replacing them, the guide to French demonstrative adjectives covers the complete system.

Ceci, cela, and ça: impersonal demonstratives

While celui/celle/ceux/celles replace a specific noun that has been mentioned, ceci, cela, and ça refer to an idea, situation, or unspecified thing rather than a previously mentioned noun.

Form	Register	Usage
ceci	formal	this (something about to be mentioned)
cela	formal	that (something already mentioned or a general situation)
ça	informal/spoken	that, this, it (general reference)

French	English
Retenez bien ceci: les règles ont changé.	Remember this: the rules have changed.
Il travaille beaucoup. Cela l’épuise.	He works a lot. That exhausts him.
Ça ne m’étonne pas.	That does not surprise me.
Comment ça va?	How is it going?
Ça m’est égal.	I do not mind. (It is all the same to me.)

Ce + être: In the construction c’est (it is / this is / that is), ce functions as an impersonal demonstrative, not as a demonstrative adjective: C’est intéressant. (That is interesting.) Ce sont eux. (It is them.) C’est lui qui a téléphoné. (He is the one who called.)

Distinguishing demonstrative adjectives from pronouns

Type	Form	Requirement	Example
Adjective	ce/cet/cette/ces	always before a noun	ce livre, cette idée
Pronoun	celui/celle/ceux/celles	must have complement (-ci/-là, de, or relative clause)	celui-ci, celle de Paul, ceux qui arrivent

A demonstrative pronoun without a complement is not standard in French. Je préfère celui (without a complement) is incomplete; it needs je préfère celui-ci or je préfère celui que tu m’as montré.

Common errors

Error	Correct form	Note
celui mange trop	celui qui mange trop	pronoun alone is incomplete, needs complement
ceux de qui travaillent	ceux qui travaillent	do not combine de and relative clause
c’est celle que vient	c’est celle qui vient	elle vient = she comes, so the pronoun is subject, use qui
Je prends cela-ci	Je prends celui-ci / celle-ci	cela does not take -ci/-là; use celui/celle

Making pronouns automatic in conversation

Demonstrative pronouns require choosing the right form (gender, number), the right structure (-ci/-là, de, or relative clause), and understanding the difference between celui (specific referent) and ça (general reference). Practice in conversational context, comparing options, expressing preferences, pointing to things, builds automatic use.

italki has French teachers who use comparison and preference tasks to build pronoun fluency from real communicative needs. Book a trial lesson and practice comparing two options, two people, or two memories using the full demonstrative pronoun system.

FAQ

What is the difference between celui and ce?

Ce (in the forms ce/cet/cette/ces) is a demonstrative adjective: it always precedes and modifies a noun. Celui/celle/ceux/celles are demonstrative pronouns: they replace a noun phrase and must have a complement (-ci/-là, de, or a relative clause).

Can celui stand alone without a complement?

No, not in standard French. Celui requires either -ci/-là (for near/far distinction), de (for possession), or a relative clause (qui, que). Standalone celui without a complement is grammatically incomplete.

What is the difference between cela and ça?

Both mean that/it in a general sense. Cela is formal and appears in written French, formal speech, and careful style. Ça is the contracted, everyday spoken form. In conversation, ça is far more common. They are not interchangeable in formal writing.

When do I use celui qui vs. celui que?

Celui qui introduces a relative clause where the demonstrative pronoun is the subject of the verb in the clause: celui qui parle (the one who speaks). Celui que introduces a clause where the demonstrative pronoun is the object: celui que tu aimes (the one that you love, where tu is the subject of aimes).

What does c’est celui mean?

C’est lui or c’est celle-là depend on context. C’est celui que je cherchais means it is the one I was looking for. Ce in c’est is an impersonal pronoun, not the demonstrative adjective.