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How to Say ‘Can I talk to you?’ in French

Je peux vous parler ?

zhuh puh voo par-lay

[zhuh puh voo par-lay]

💬 Usage Tip: The little word vous "you" sits before the verb, not after: Je peux vous parler is literally "I can you talk to". Same with te: Je peux te parler ?

Phrase Breakdown

Je peux

zhuh puh

Can I

This comes from 'pouvoir'. Say 'zhuh PUH', with rounded lips for 'eu'.

Example

Je peux entrer ?

Can I come in?

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

peux

[puh]

can

Form of pouvoir meaning to be able to or can.

Example

Je peux vous présenter mes compétences en quelques minutes.

I can present my skills to you in a few minutes.

vous parler ?

voo par-lay

talk to you?

'Vous' comes before the verb and means 'to you'. Say 'voo par-LAY'.

Example

Je veux vous parler.

I want to talk to you.

Words in this phrase

vous

[voo]

to you

Indirect object pronoun: the person receiving something.

Example

Je vous donne la monnaie.

I give you the change.

parler

[par-lay]

to speak / talk

Infinitive verb meaning to speak or talk, often followed by de for the topic.

Example

Je peux vous parler de mon dernier projet.

I can talk to you about my latest project.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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