Learn Hardcore French: Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac.

Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac.
→ I keep this magazine in my bag.
This suggests a deliberate choice: you keep it there on purpose (for later, just in case, because it’s important, etc.).

If you just want to state simple possession in French, you’d usually say:

J’ai ce magazine dans mon sac.
→ I have this magazine in my bag.

Je garde adds the idea of intention, continuity, or safekeeping, not just accidental presence.

Why is it “ce magazine” and not “le magazine”?

Both are possible, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing:

ce magazine = “this magazine” or “that magazine”
You are pointing to a specific magazine, distinguishing it from others. It’s demonstrative.
le magazine = “the magazine”
Refers to a magazine already known in the context, but without the extra “this/that one” emphasis.

Examples:

Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac.
→ I keep this (particular) magazine in my bag.
Je garde le magazine dans mon sac.
→ I keep the magazine in my bag. (We both know which one is meant, but I’m not “pointing” at it the way ce does.)

In the original sentence, ce adds a demonstrative flavor, like English this.

Why is it “ce magazine” and not “cet magazine”?

In French, the masculine singular demonstratives are:

ce
- consonant sound: ce magazine, ce livre, ce sac
cet
- vowel sound or silent h: cet avion, cet homme, cet hôtel

Magazine starts with a consonant sound [m], so the correct form is ce magazine, not cet magazine.

Cet is only used before words that begin with a vowel sound or a silent h.

Why is it “mon sac” and not “ma sac”?

Because sac is a masculine noun in French:

un sac = a bag
le sac = the bag

The possessive adjective must match the gender of the noun, not the speaker:

mon sac = my bag (masculine)
ma montre = my watch (feminine)
mes sacs = my bags (plural)

So you say mon sac regardless of whether the speaker is male or female, because sac itself is masculine.

Can I move “dans mon sac” to another place in the sentence?

Yes, French word order is flexible with location phrases, though some orders sound more natural than others.

All of these are grammatically correct:

Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac.
(Most neutral and natural.)
Dans mon sac, je garde ce magazine.
Emphasizes the place. More like: In my bag, I keep this magazine.
Je garde dans mon sac ce magazine.
Correct but sounds a bit marked or literary; the standard spoken version would keep ce magazine right after the verb.

For everyday speech, the original Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac is the most common.

Why is the preposition “dans” used here, and not “en” or something else?

Dans is the normal preposition for “inside” a physical container:

dans mon sac = in my bag / inside my bag
dans la voiture = in the car
dans la boîte = in the box

En is rarely used for a concrete “inside a container” meaning. It’s used more for:

materials: en bois (made of wood)
means of transport: en voiture (by car)
time expressions: en été (in summer)

So in this context, dans mon sac is the natural and correct choice to mean “in my bag.”

How would I say it if I replace “ce magazine” with a pronoun?

If the noun has already been mentioned and you want to avoid repeating it, use a direct object pronoun:

Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac.
→ Je le garde dans mon sac.

Here:

le replaces ce magazine (masculine singular direct object).
The pronoun le goes before the verb garde.

Structure:
Subject + pronoun + verb + location
→ Je le garde dans mon sac.

Is “magazine” masculine or feminine in French, and how do I make it plural?

Magazine is masculine in French:

un magazine (a magazine)
le magazine (the magazine)
ce magazine (this/that magazine)

To make it plural:

des magazines (some magazines)
les magazines (the magazines)
ces magazines (these/those magazines)

So the plural version of the original sentence would be:

Je garde ces magazines dans mon sac.
→ I keep these magazines in my bag.

Does “Je garde…” here mean I’m doing it right now, or that I usually do it?

The present tense in French (le présent) can express:

A current action or situation
- Right now: “At the moment, I keep this magazine in my bag.”
A habitual action
- Usually/regularly: “I (always/typically) keep this magazine in my bag.”

Context normally clarifies which meaning is intended. With no extra context, Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac can be understood either as a current arrangement or a habit; both are natural interpretations.

Are there any tricky pronunciation points in “Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac”?

Key points:

Je → [ʒə] (like “zhuh”). The e is short and unstressed.
garde → [ɡaʁd]
- gar- like “gar” in “garden” (but shorter)
- final -e is silent, but the -d is pronounced [d].
ce → [sə] (like “suh”).
magazine → [maɡazin] in French
- stress is more even; not magaZINE with English-style stress.
- all syllables are clearly pronounced: ma-ga-zine.
dans → [dɑ̃]
- the final -s is silent.
- nasal vowel: air flows through the nose; roughly like “dahn.”
mon → [mɔ̃]
- also nasal; roughly like “mon” in “Montreal” but shorter.
sac → [sak]
- final -c pronounced [k], not silent.

No liaison is required here (you do not link ce and magazine with a ‘z’ sound). You say each word separately:
Je garde | ce magazine | dans mon sac.

Can I replace “garde” with verbs like “mets” or “laisse”? How does the meaning change?

Yes, but each verb changes the nuance:

Je mets ce magazine dans mon sac.
→ I put this magazine in my bag (now).
Focus on the action of putting it in at this moment.
Je laisse ce magazine dans mon sac.
→ I leave this magazine in my bag.
Suggests you let it remain there, maybe on purpose or by not taking it out.
Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac.
→ I keep this magazine in my bag.
Implies a continuous, intentional choice to keep it there (for future use, for safekeeping, etc.).

So they are not interchangeable in all contexts; they emphasize different aspects of the situation.

How could I strongly emphasize the place “in my bag” in French?

French can use a cleft structure to highlight the location:

C’est dans mon sac que je garde ce magazine.
Literally: It’s in my bag that I keep this magazine.

This construction:

Emphasizes “dans mon sac” as the important information.
Is similar in feel to English “It’s in my bag that I keep this magazine.”

The neutral version remains Je garde ce magazine dans mon sac, but C’est dans mon sac que… gives extra focus to the location.