ces
/se/feminine, masculine
The English phrase "these" is translated to French as ces. Wiktionary also lists ceux-ci and celles-ci.
Meaning: plural of this (pron)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ces | /se/ /se.z‿/ |
feminine, masculine |
| ceux-ci | /sø.si/ | |
| celles-ci | /sɛl.si/ | |
| ces …-ci | plural |
Which one should you use?
ces is a determiner that must be followed by a noun. In contrast, ceux-ci is used as a pronoun to mean "these ones" for masculine nouns and celles-ci is used as a pronoun to mean "these ones" for feminine nouns. You can also use the form ces …-ci to mean "these … (proximal)".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the suffix -ci to a noun phrase with ces is used to emphasize that the objects are close to the speaker.
How do you pronounce it?
/se/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse ces (these) with ses (his/her) because they are homophones in French.
Did you know?
- French uses the suffix -ci from the word ici meaning 'here' to turn 'these' into 'these right here', creating a physical map in the sentence.
- In older French literature, you might see the word cestui, an ancestor of ceux, used in legal terms to mean 'this person'.
- If you want to point to 'those' (the ones far away) instead of 'these', you can swap the suffix -ci for -là to create ces …-là.
Examples in context
- Dégage ces gens !Get these people out of here.Tatoeba #4561983 by sacredceltic, translation #2884549 by CK
- Ouvre ces portes !Open these doors.Tatoeba #3666223 by sacredceltic, translation #2249751 by CK
- Qui sont ces gus ?Who are these guys?Tatoeba #14044491 by Myrano_, translation #2647778 by CK
- 1635 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are looking at some decorations in a shop.
- HugoTu vois ces décorations ?Do you see these decorations?
- EmmaOui, elles sont très jolies.Yes, they are very pretty.
- HugoOn achète ces objets pour la fête ?Are we buying these items for the party?
- EmmaOui, Hugo, c'est une bonne idée.Yes, Hugo, it's a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “these” translations and entries ces, ceux-ci, celles-ci, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
