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How to Say ‘Can I open it?’ in French

Je peux l'ouvrir ?

zhuh puh luh oo-VREER

[zhuh puh luh oo-VREER]

💬 Usage Tip: l' is le "it" shortened before a vowel, so it can't stand alone. It sits in front of the verb it belongs to: je peux le voir ? "can I see it?"

Phrase Breakdown

Je

[zhuh]

I

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.

l'

[luh]

it

Shortened object pronoun 'la' (it, feminine) before a vowel.

Example

Cette chemise, je l'aime.

This shirt, I love it.

ouvrir

[oo-VREER]

to open

Infinitive verb meaning to open something.

Example

Tu peux ouvrir la porte ?

Can you open the door?

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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