Use of se and ce
=> se is used in front of a verb to indicate a thought action: se lamenter, se raser...
=> ce is used in front of a noun and the object to represent.
| Examples | Rules | |
| se | il se cache | se is used in front of pronominal verbs. It can be replaced by me te nous vous. |
| s' | il s'en va | s' is used in front of pronominal verbs starting with a vowel: être... |
| ce | ce travail est long ce sont les nôtres. |
ce is used: - in front of a noun - in front of relative pronoun: qui, que, dont - with être to insist on something - in the expression pour ce faire |
| c' | c'est la vérité | c' is only used with être. |
A simple way to know if it se or ce is to replace it by cela or celui. If it makes sense, it is "ce". Otherwise, it is "se".
Example: C'est beau => cela est beau...