"The one" and "the ones"
Instead of repeating a noun when comparing things, you can use a demonstrative pronoun to say "the one" or "the ones."
In French, these pronouns must match the gender and number of the noun they are replacing:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | celui | ceux |
| Feminine | celle | celles |
You will often see these pronouns followed by a preposition (like de or à) to describe who the item belongs to or where it is located.
| My truck is the one next to the garage. | Mon camion est celui à côté du garage. |
| My car is in front of the park, the one of my brother is far. | Ma voiture est en face du parc, celle de mon frère est loin. |
| She is paying for the electric truck, the one next to the door. | Elle paie le camion électrique, celui à côté de la porte. |
Pointing things out: "-ci" and "-là"
To specifically say "this one" or "that one," attach the suffix -ci (for something close by) or -là (for something further away) to the pronoun.
| Which car? This one or that one? | Quelle voiture ? Celle-ci ou celle-là ? |
| This scooter is electric, but I prefer that one. | Ce scooter est électrique, mais je préfère celui-là. |
These suffixes also work with the plural pronouns ceux and celles to mean "these ones" and "those ones."
| Do you like the electric motorcycles? These ones or those ones? | Est-ce que tu aimes les motos électriques ? Celles-ci ou celles-là ? |
| These ones are eco-friendly. | Ceux-ci sont écologiques. |
| Electric cars are eco-friendly, but those are expensive. | Les voitures électriques sont écologiques, mais celles-là sont chères. |
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