Ces (en. These)

/se/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

adjective

Designates items or people already mentioned or that are close to the speaker.

These books are very interesting.

Ces livres sont très intéressants.

Used to establish a proximity or a clearly defined reference.

Look at these magnificent paintings.

Regarde ces tableaux magnifiques.

Indicates specific items in a series.

These students passed their exams.

Ces étudiants ont réussi leurs examens.

Comes from the Latin 'iste, ista, istud' meaning 'this one, this one (feminine), that (neuter)'.

these days

Currently, at this moment.

ces temps-ci

these last days

Over the past few days.

ces derniers jours

these days

In recent days.

ces jours-ci

this

Singular masculine demonstrative.

this (feminine)

Singular feminine demonstrative.

cette

these people

Refers to a group of people already mentioned.

ces gens

Used to refer to close friends.

I hung out with those guys all day.

J'ai traîné avec ces gars-là toute la journée.

Refers to cool or appreciated things.

Look at those sneakers, they are so stylish.

Regarde ces sneakers, elles sont trop stylées.