In this French grammar lesson, you will learn about pouvoir conjugation in the present tense.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how pouvoir is conjugated in French
- how pouvoir is used in French
- how pouvoir is pronounced in French
- how pouvoir is used in sentences in French
- how you can quiz yourself on pouvoir conjugation in the present tense
- how to practice with flashcards on pouvoir conjugation in the present tense
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about pouvoir conjugation in the present tense!
Table of Contents
Pouvoir Conjugation in the Present Tense
| je | peux |
| tu | peux |
| il/elle/on | peut |
| nous | pouvons |
| vous | pouvez |
| ils/elles | peuvent |
Usage of Pouvoir
This section on pouvoir conjugation in the present tense will show you how pouvoir is used in French.
Pouvoir means “to be able to/can” and is an irregular verb,
Pouvoir is used if you want to state that you are able to do something. This is also how “to be able to/can” is used in English.
Je peux parler français.
I can speak French.
Please note that if two verbs are placed next to each other, the first will be conjugated, and the second will be the full verb (infinitive).
Pronunciation of Pouvoir Conjugations
In this section on pouvoir conjugation in the present tense we will focus on pronunciation.
There are 2 important rules to take into account when you want to pronounce a pouvoir conjugation in the present tense.
- The je, tu, and il/elle/on verb forms all have the same pronunciation. The -x and –t endings are not pronounced. It is just the “peu” part that gets pronounced.
Je peux
Tu peux
Il peut
These verbs are pronounced in the same exact way.
You don’t pronounce the letters in red.
- In the ils/elles verb form, you don’t pronounce the -ent ending. It is just the “peuv” part that gets pronounced.
Ils peuvent
The last letter that is pronounced is the “v“.
You don’t pronounce the letters in red.
Example Sentences with Pouvoir Conjugations
The final section of this lesson on pouvoir conjugation in the present tense is about seeing pouvoir in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of pouvoir conjugation in the present tense through examples.
Je peux avoir de l’eau?
Can I have some water?
Je peux vous attendre.
I can wait for you.
Je peux parler français.
I can speak French.
Tu peux aider.
You can help.
Elle peut partir demain.
She can leave tomorrow.
Nous pouvons encore gagner.
We can still win.
Vous pouvez marcher ou courir.
You can walk or run.
Vous pouvez refuser.
You can refuse.
Ils peuvent surmonter leur peur.
They can overcome their fear.
Quiz Yourself on Pouvoir Conjugation in the Present Tense
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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