Sep 03, 2015 - 04:11 AM
Salut everyone,
These are set expressions that always go together: Ce/Cet/Cette/Ces -ci/-là. They are used to identify an object. So you use them to specify which house or table or sandwich, etc you are talking about. It helps to picture yourself pointing at the object you're talking about when you use, for example Cette maison-ci - This house here - as opposed to Cette maison-là - That house there.
Or you might be in a bakery and the baker asks you which bread you want. There's a big selection but you point at the one you want and say:
Je veux ce pain-ci - I want this bread here
And not: Ces pains-là - Those breads there
And as @EOD K9 said, ici and là (or là-bas) would be used to give an actual location. And you wouldn't always point when you say:
Ce restaurant est ici - That restaurant is here
You are giving the location of a restaurant but you are not specifying which restaurant you are talking about, you aren't saying: This restaurant here. I hope this helps.