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

Je peux vous parler une minute ?

zhuh puh voo par-lay ewn mee-NOOT

[zhuh puh voo par-lay ewn mee-NOOT]

🇫🇷 In France: Using vous with a stranger you'd like to ask out is the polite, safe opening in France. Jumping straight to tu can feel presumptuous unless you're both young and in a casual setting.

Phrase Breakdown

Je peux vous parler

zhuh puh voo par-lay

Can I talk to you

'Je peux' means I can, and 'vous parler' means to speak to you. 'Peux' sounds like 'puh'.

Example

Je peux vous parler en privé ?

Can I talk to you in private?

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

[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.

une minute ?

ewn mee-NOOT

for a minute?

The 'u' in 'une' and 'minute' is the French 'u': round your lips and say 'ee'.

Example

Attends une minute.

Wait a minute.

Words in this phrase

une

[ewn]

Indefinite article, feminine singular.

Example

Elle veut une pomme.

She wants an apple.

minute

[mee-NOOT]

minute

Feminine noun for a unit of sixty seconds; also used loosely for 'a moment'.

Example

Attends une minute, s'il te plaît.

Wait a minute, please.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.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.

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