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French grammar lessons › Level C1 › Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns – ceci, cela, ça

Ceci vs cela

Ceci, cela and ça are demonstrative pronouns that refer to ideas, situations or things not named. Unlike celui, celle, they don't replace a specific noun.

Cela and ça: that, it

Ça is the everyday spoken form of cela. Use cela in formal writing.

  • Ça ne me plaît pas.I don't like that.
  • Cela me semble juste.That seems fair to me. (formal)
  • Ça dépend.It depends.
  • Comment ça va ?How's it going?
  • C'est ça !That's right!

Ceci vs cela

In formal French: - ceci (this) announces what follows: Retenez bien ceci : la patience paie. = Remember this: patience pays. - cela (that) refers back to what came before: Il a menti. Cela m'étonne. = He lied. That surprises me.

When contrasting two things: ceci = this (near), cela = that (further): Prenez ceci, pas cela.

Ce vs cela with être

Before être, use ce: C'est vrai. Cela can be used for emphasis: Cela est vrai (formal).

Spelling

  • cela (no accent) vs là (there) and çà (only in çà et làhere and there)

Idioms with ça

  • Ça y est !That's it! / Done!
  • Ça alors !Well I never!
  • Ça m'est égal.I don't mind.
  • Ça suffit !That's enough!

Practice

  1. Écoutez bien _____ : la réunion est annulée.
    Options: ceci · cela · celui
    Show the answer

    ceci

  2. Il est parti sans rien dire. _____ ne m'étonne pas.
    Options: Cela · Ceci · Celui
    Show the answer

    Cela

  3. Which is the informal equivalent of « cela » ?
    Options: ça · çà · ce
    Show the answer

    ça

  4. _____ dépend. (informal)
    It depends.
    Show the answer

    Ça

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