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Ceci n'est pas mon livre.

Ceci n'est pas mon livre.
This is not my book.
From Lesson 103:Demonstrative pronouns (celui, celle...)·French

Questions & Answers about Ceci n'est pas mon livre.

Why use ceci here instead of celui-ci from the current lesson?
Ceci translates to "this" and is used to point out something general or an object you are pointing at without having named it first. You use celui-ci ("this one") when you are referring back to a specific noun that has already been mentioned in the conversation. Here, we use the neutral ceci because we are pointing to a general object before classifying it as a book.
Can I just say Ce n'est pas mon livre instead?
Yes! In everyday spoken French, Ce n'est pas mon livre is actually much more common. Using ceci (meaning "this right here") makes the statement a bit more formal, or heavily emphasizes the specific object you are physically pointing at.
If I wanted to say "That is not my book" for a book further away, what would I use?
You would replace ceci with cela (that). However, in everyday conversation, French speakers usually just say Ce n'est pas mon livre or Ça n'est pas mon livre whether the object is near or far.

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