French grammar trick #8: Ce or se?

The French language is full of exceptions and nasty rules when it comes to its grammar and orthography. This series of posts will give you some tricks to remember them quite easily.

This little trick will help you differentiate ce and se.

Ce, demonstrative adjective meaning this, is a homophone of se, personal pronoun meaning oneself.
How to know when to use ce and se?

Ce is used before a noun, while se is used before a verb: “Ce chien se promène” (This dog is walking around).

You can also use the fact that when you show something with your finger, your hand makes the shape of a C.

French grammar trick #4: Which adjectives are placed before their noun in French?
French grammar trick #5: être or avoir?
French grammar trick #6: Past participle or infinitive?
French grammar trick #7: Leur or leurs?

Don’t forget to upvote this post if you would like me to present other French grammar tricks, and leave a comment if you want me to deal with a specific grammatic point.

If you want to use my French translation or French proofreading services, you can visit me at mancko.com