Learning to say common phrases in another language is a great way to start your language journey. French, known for its beautiful sounds and rich history, offers many ways to say simple things. One important expression to learn is how to say “this.” It’s a small word, but it helps in everyday conversations, like asking questions or pointing out objects.
In this article, we’ll explore how to say “this” in French, along with phrases like “how much is this” and “this is.” By the end, you’ll be ready to use these expressions in real-life situations, making your French skills even stronger. Let’s begin!
Ways to Say “This” in French
French has several ways to say “this,” depending on the context, gender, and number of the noun. These expressions are essential when pointing to objects, describing situations, or asking questions. Below are the ways to say “this” in French with pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences.
Ce
Pronunciation: suh
Meaning: This (used before masculine singular nouns).
In a Sentence:
- Ce livre est intéressant. (This book is interesting.)
- Ce chien est adorable. (This dog is adorable.)
Cette
Pronunciation: set
Meaning: This (used before feminine singular nouns).
In a Sentence:
- Cette maison est grande. (This house is big.)
- Cette fleur est belle. (This flower is beautiful.)
Ces
Pronunciation: say
Meaning: These (used before plural nouns).
In a Sentence:
- Ces chaussures sont neuves. (These shoes are new.)
- Ces enfants jouent au parc. (These children are playing in the park.)
Ceci
Pronunciation: suh-see
Meaning: This (formal or abstract usage).
In a Sentence:
- Ceci est un problème. (This is a problem.)
- Ceci est pour toi. (This is for you.)
Cela
Pronunciation: suh-lah
Meaning: That (often interchangeable with “ceci”).
In a Sentence:
- Cela semble compliqué. (That seems complicated.)
- Cela m’intéresse beaucoup. (That interests me a lot.)
Ça
Pronunciation: sah
Meaning: This/That (informal and widely used).
In a Sentence:
- Ça va? (How’s it going?)
- Ça me plaît. (I like it.)
Celui-ci
Pronunciation: suh-lwee-see
Meaning: This one (used for masculine singular nouns).
In a Sentence:
- Celui-ci est mon préféré. (This one is my favorite.)
- Prenez celui-ci, il est plus petit. (Take this one; it’s smaller.)
Celle-ci
Pronunciation: sell-see
Meaning: This one (used for feminine singular nouns).
In a Sentence:
- Celle-ci est plus jolie. (This one is prettier.)
- Je préfère celle-ci. (I prefer this one.)
Ceux-ci
Pronunciation: suh-see
Meaning: These ones (used for masculine plural nouns).
In a Sentence:
- Ceux-ci sont lourds. (These ones are heavy.)
- J’aime ceux-ci. (I like these ones.)
Celles-ci
Pronunciation: sell-see
Meaning: These ones (used for feminine plural nouns).
In a Sentence:
- Celles-ci sont mes amies. (These ones are my friends.)
- Celles-ci sont moins chères. (These ones are cheaper.)
Voilà
Pronunciation: vwah-lah
Meaning: Here is/This is (used for emphasis or to present something).
In a Sentence:
- Voilà votre café. (Here is your coffee.)
- Voilà la solution. (This is the solution.)
Voici
Pronunciation: vwah-see
Meaning: Here is/This is (similar to “voilà” but used more formally).
In a Sentence:
- Voici mon passeport. (Here is my passport.)
- Voici un cadeau pour toi. (Here is a gift for you.)
Ça, c’est
Pronunciation: sah, say
Meaning: This is/That is (to point out something specific).
In a Sentence:
- Ça, c’est génial! (This is great!)
- Ça, c’est ma voiture. (That is my car.)
Est-ce que c’est
Pronunciation: es kuh say
Meaning: Is this/Is that (used to ask questions).
In a Sentence:
- Est-ce que c’est ton sac? (Is this your bag?)
- Est-ce que c’est vrai? (Is that true?)
C’était
Pronunciation: say-teh
Meaning: That was (used to describe something past).
In a Sentence:
- C’était une belle journée. (That was a beautiful day.)
- C’était délicieux! (That was delicious!)
Ceci est
Pronunciation: suh-see ay
Meaning: This is (formal usage).
In a Sentence:
- Ceci est un exemple parfait. (This is a perfect example.)
- Ceci est une question importante. (This is an important question.)
Tout ça
Pronunciation: too sah
Meaning: All this (used to refer to a group of things).
In a Sentence:
- Tout ça est incroyable. (All this is amazing.)
- Tout ça pour rien? (All this for nothing?)
À ceci
Pronunciation: ah suh-see
Meaning: To this (used in formal settings).
In a Sentence:
- Je m’adapte à ceci. (I’m adapting to this.)
- À ceci, je répondrai oui. (To this, I will say yes.)
Sur cela
Pronunciation: soor suh-lah
Meaning: On this/On that (used in formal contexts).
In a Sentence:
- Sur cela, je suis d’accord. (On this, I agree.)
- Sur cela, nous devons réfléchir. (On that, we need to think.)
D’après cela
Pronunciation: dah-pray suh-lah
Meaning: According to this/that.
In a Sentence:
- D’après cela, il a raison. (According to this, he is right.)
- D’après cela, le match est annulé. (According to that, the match is canceled.)
En cela
Pronunciation: ahn suh-lah
Meaning: In this/That respect.
In a Sentence:
- En cela, je suis satisfait. (In this, I am satisfied.)
- En cela, elle a fait un bon travail. (In that, she did a good job.)
Ceci dit
Pronunciation: suh-see dee
Meaning: That said/However.
In a Sentence:
- Ceci dit, il faut être prudent. (That said, we must be careful.)
- Ceci dit, c’était une bonne expérience. (That said, it was a good experience.)
Comme ça
Pronunciation: kohm sah
Meaning: Like this/That way.
In a Sentence:
- Fais-le comme ça. (Do it like this.)
- Est-ce correct comme ça? (Is it correct that way?)
Après ça
Pronunciation: ah-pray sah
Meaning: After this/That.
In a Sentence:
- Après ça, nous irons manger. (After this, we’ll go eat.)
- Que faire après ça? (What to do after that?)
À cause de ça
Pronunciation: ah koze duh sah
Meaning: Because of this/That.
In a Sentence:
- À cause de ça, je suis en retard. (Because of this, I’m late.)
- Nous avons perdu à cause de ça. (We lost because of that.)
Grâce à cela
Pronunciation: grahs ah suh-lah
Meaning: Thanks to this/That.
In a Sentence:
- Grâce à cela, nous avons réussi. (Thanks to this, we succeeded.)
- Grâce à cela, j’ai appris quelque chose de nouveau. (Thanks to that, I learned something new.)
Par ceci
Pronunciation: par suh-see
Meaning: By this (formal context).
In a Sentence:
- Par ceci, nous allons commencer. (By this, we will begin.)
- Par ceci, il prouve son point. (By this, he proves his point.)
Avec ceci
Pronunciation: ah-vek suh-see
Meaning: With this (formal or neutral).
In a Sentence:
- Avec ceci, tu peux ouvrir la boîte. (With this, you can open the box.)
- Avec ceci, nous terminons notre projet. (With this, we finish our project.)
En ça
Pronunciation: ahn sah
Meaning: In this (used in abstract discussions).
In a Sentence:
- En ça, il a parfaitement raison. (In this, he is perfectly right.)
- En ça, tu peux trouver du réconfort. (In this, you can find comfort.)
De ça
Pronunciation: duh sah
Meaning: Of this/That.
In a Sentence:
- Je ne veux pas de ça. (I don’t want any of that.)
- De ça, nous parlerons plus tard. (We’ll talk about that later.)
Entre ça
Pronunciation: ahn-truh sah
Meaning: Between this/That.
In a Sentence:
- Entre ça et autre chose, je choisirai cela. (Between this and something else, I’ll choose that.)
- Entre ça et toi, je choisis toi. (Between this and you, I choose you.)
Tout ceci
Pronunciation: too suh-see
Meaning: All this (formal or neutral).
In a Sentence:
- Tout ceci est incroyable. (All this is incredible.)
- Tout ceci a pris beaucoup de temps. (All this took a lot of time.)
Other Ways to Say “This” in French
Below is a table of alternative ways to say “this” in French. Each variation is paired with its pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences for better understanding.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Ce truc | suh trook | This thing (informal) | Ce truc ne fonctionne pas. (This thing doesn’t work.) |
| Cette affaire | set ah-fair | This matter/thing | Cette affaire est étrange. (This matter is strange.) |
| Tout cela | too suh-lah | All of this | Tout cela est vrai. (All of this is true.) |
| Cela dit | suh-lah dee | That said/However | Cela dit, faisons une pause. (That said, let’s take a break.) |
| Ceci aussi | suh-see oh-see | This too | Ceci aussi est important. (This too is important.) |
| Ça suffit | sah soo-fee | That’s enough | Ça suffit! Arrête maintenant. (That’s enough! Stop now.) |
| À cela | ah suh-lah | To this/That | Je pense à cela souvent. (I think about this often.) |
| C’est ça | say sah | That’s it | Oui, c’est ça! (Yes, that’s it!) |
| De tout cela | duh too suh-lah | From all this | De tout cela, il a appris beaucoup. (From all this, he learned a lot.) |
| Comme cela | kohm suh-lah | Like this/That | Fais-le comme cela. (Do it like this.) |
Responses to “This” in French
When someone uses “this” in a conversation, your response depends on the context. In French, there are several ways to reply, ranging from agreeing or clarifying to expressing curiosity. Here are various responses with their pronunciation, meaning, and examples to help you engage effectively.
C’est vrai
Pronunciation: say vray
Meaning: That’s true.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ce livre est utile. (This book is useful.)
Person 2: C’est vrai, il m’a beaucoup aidé. (That’s true, it helped me a lot.)
Je ne comprends pas
Pronunciation: juh nuh kohm-prahn pah
Meaning: I don’t understand.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ceci est important. (This is important.)
Person 2: Je ne comprends pas, peux-tu expliquer? (I don’t understand; can you explain?)
Ah, d’accord
Pronunciation: ah dah-kohr
Meaning: Oh, okay.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ceci est pour toi. (This is for you.)
Person 2: Ah, d’accord, merci! (Oh, okay, thank you!)
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Pronunciation: kes-kuh say
Meaning: What is this?
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Regarde ça! (Look at this!)
Person 2: Qu’est-ce que c’est? Je ne l’ai jamais vu. (What is this? I’ve never seen it.)
C’est intéressant
Pronunciation: say an-teh-reh-sahn
Meaning: That’s interesting.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Cette idée pourrait marcher. (This idea could work.)
Person 2: C’est intéressant, dis-m’en plus. (That’s interesting; tell me more.)
Vraiment?
Pronunciation: vray-mahn
Meaning: Really?
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ce truc est cassé. (This thing is broken.)
Person 2: Vraiment? Depuis quand? (Really? Since when?)
Je suis d’accord
Pronunciation: juh swee dah-kohr
Meaning: I agree.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ce film est génial! (This movie is great!)
Person 2: Je suis d’accord, c’était fantastique. (I agree; it was fantastic.)
Pas du tout
Pronunciation: pah du too
Meaning: Not at all.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Cela semble compliqué. (That seems complicated.)
Person 2: Pas du tout, c’est facile. (Not at all; it’s easy.)
Peux-tu répéter?
Pronunciation: puh-too ray-pay-tay
Meaning: Can you repeat?
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ceci est essentiel. (This is essential.)
Person 2: Peux-tu répéter? Je n’ai pas entendu. (Can you repeat? I didn’t hear.)
Je ne sais pas
Pronunciation: juh nuh say pah
Meaning: I don’t know.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Cela peut coûter cher. (This might be expensive.)
Person 2: Je ne sais pas, il faut vérifier. (I don’t know; we need to check.)
Exactement
Pronunciation: ek-zakt-mahn
Meaning: Exactly.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Cette réponse est correcte. (This answer is correct.)
Person 2: Exactement, tu as raison. (Exactly; you’re right.)
Et alors?
Pronunciation: ay ah-lor
Meaning: So what?
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ceci est vieux. (This is old.)
Person 2: Et alors? Ça fonctionne toujours. (So what? It still works.)
Exercise to Practice Saying “This” in French
Below are 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises to help you practice using “this” in French. Each sentence is designed to reflect real-life scenarios. Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase for “this” based on context. After completing the exercise, check the answers provided below.
Fill-in-the-Blank Exercise
- __________ maison est vraiment jolie. (Hint: Feminine singular)
- __________ chaussures sont confortables pour marcher. (Hint: Plural)
- Est-ce que __________ est pour toi? (Hint: Neutral, pointing to something abstract)
- __________ livre est très intéressant à lire. (Hint: Masculine singular)
- Je pense que __________ est une bonne idée. (Hint: Informal, widely used)
- __________ chien est très amical avec tout le monde. (Hint: Masculine singular)
- __________ est incroyable, tu ne trouves pas? (Hint: Informal, referring to a situation)
- __________ est mon préféré parmi tous. (Hint: Demonstrating emphasis, masculine)
- Peux-tu me donner __________ stylo sur la table? (Hint: Masculine singular)
- __________ fleur dans le jardin est magnifique. (Hint: Feminine singular)
- __________ enfants jouent dans la cour de récréation. (Hint: Plural)
- __________ est une question très importante. (Hint: Neutral, formal use)
Answers
- Cette maison est vraiment jolie. (This house is really pretty.)
- Ces chaussures sont confortables pour marcher. (These shoes are comfortable for walking.)
- Est-ce que ceci est pour toi? (Is this for you?)
- Ce livre est très intéressant à lire. (This book is very interesting to read.)
- Je pense que ça est une bonne idée. (I think this is a good idea.)
- Ce chien est très amical avec tout le monde. (This dog is very friendly with everyone.)
- Ça est incroyable, tu ne trouves pas? (This is incredible, don’t you think?)
- Celui-ci est mon préféré parmi tous. (This one is my favorite among all.)
- Peux-tu me donner ce stylo sur la table? (Can you give me this pen on the table?)
- Cette fleur dans le jardin est magnifique. (This flower in the garden is magnificent.)
- Ces enfants jouent dans la cour de récréation. (These children are playing in the playground.)
- Ceci est une question très importante. (This is a very important question.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “this” in French is an essential step in becoming confident in everyday conversations. Whether you are pointing at something, describing a situation, or asking a question, these expressions make your communication clear and precise. Words like “ce,” “cette,” “ça,” and others help you navigate different contexts with ease.
By practicing these phrases and responses, you’ll soon be able to use them naturally in real-life situations. Remember, learning a language takes time and practice, so keep exploring and speaking. Mastering simple words like “this” will make your French conversations flow smoothly and sound more authentic. Keep practicing, and bonne chance! (Good luck!)