Using a computer and printer quietly | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Je peux utiliser cet ordinateur ?

   Can I use this computer?

   Je peux

   I can / may

   utiliser

   use

   cet

   this

   ordinateur

   computer

   More detail

   Je peux means “I can” here and, in this question, naturally asks for permission: “May I…?” The form peux is the first-person singular present form of pouvoir (“to be able to; can”). A useful pattern is Je peux + infinitive ?, as in Je peux entrer ? — “May I come in?” utiliser means “to use.” It is an infinitive, the form used after pouvoir: Je peux utiliser… — “I can/may use…” The infinitive stays utiliser after this first-person form; the person is shown by peux. cet means “this” and is the masculine singular form of the French demonstrative determiner. It is used before a masculine singular noun beginning with a vowel sound or silent h, as in cet ordinateur. The feminine singular form is cette, as in cette table (“this table”); the plural form is ces, as in ces livres (“these books”). ordinateur means “computer.” It is a masculine singular noun, so the matching demonstrative here is cet, not cette. The noun itself does not show a plural in this sentence; its plural form is ordinateurs (“computers”). Together, Je peux utiliser forms “May I use,” and cet ordinateur forms “this computer.” The complete utterance is therefore Je peux utiliser cet ordinateur ? — “Can I use this computer?” In this wording, the question asks whether the speaker is allowed or able to use the computer; the fixed translation supports the permission-seeking reading.

2. Cet ordinateur est disponible.

   That computer is free.

   Cet

   that (masculine singular)

   ordinateur

   computer

   est

   is

   disponible

   available

   More detail

   Cet means “that” here and is a masculine singular demonstrative determiner. It agrees with the noun ordinateur, which is masculine singular. French uses ce before a masculine singular noun beginning with a consonant sound, but cet before a masculine singular noun beginning with a vowel sound or silent h: cet ordinateur, “that computer”; ce livre, “that book.” The form does not identify whether the object is physically far away; context determines the demonstrative meaning. Here, the preceding question identifies the computer being discussed. ordinateur means “computer.” Its base form is the masculine singular noun ordinateur; the plural is ordinateurs. The determiner must match the noun: un ordinateur means “a computer,” while une imprimante uses the feminine determiner because imprimante is feminine. These are examples of grammatical agreement, not additional facts about the supplied conversation. Est is the third-person singular present form of être, “to be.” The present-tense forms include je suis, tu es, il/elle/on est, nous sommes, vous êtes, and ils/elles sont. In this sentence, est agrees with the singular subject phrase cet ordinateur. Example: Cet écran est lumineux. — “That screen is bright.” Disponible means “available” here: the computer is free to be used. It is an adjective, and its form is the same for masculine and feminine singular: un ordinateur disponible and une machine disponible. Its plural form is disponibles. In another context, disponible can also mean that a person is free or accessible, but the fixed sentence applies it to the computer. Together, Cet ordinateur is the subject, est supplies the present-tense form of “to be,” and disponible describes the subject. The complete utterance means “That computer is free,” with “free” understood as available for use. In a more literal reusable pattern, Ce/Cet/Cette + noun + est + adjective means “This/That + noun + is + adjective,” with the demonstrative form chosen to agree with the noun.

3. L'écran est très lumineux.

   The screen is very bright.

   écran

   screen

   est

   is

   très

   very

   lumineux

   bright

   More detail

   écran means “screen” here. Its base form is the masculine noun écran; the initial l’ is the elided form of the definite article le before a vowel sound: le écran becomes l’écran. The article marks a specific screen in this sentence, without expressing a number by itself. Example: L’écran est noir. — “The screen is black.” est is the present-tense form of être (“to be”) for a third-person singular subject. The useful chain is être → il/elle est; other present forms include je suis and vous êtes. Here, est links the screen with its description. Example: La porte est ouverte. — “The door is open.” très means “very” and strengthens the adjective that follows it. It does not change for the noun. Compare lumineux (“bright”) with très lumineux (“very bright”). lumineux means “bright” here and describes écran. It is the masculine singular form of the adjective; the feminine singular is lumineuse, and the masculine plural is lumineux. The adjective agrees with the noun it describes, so a masculine singular noun takes lumineux. Example: La pièce est lumineuse. — “The room is bright.” Together, L’écran identifies the screen, est states its present condition, and très lumineux describes that condition with emphasis. The complete utterance therefore means “The screen is very bright.”

4. Vous pouvez baisser la luminosité ici.

   You can lower the brightness here.

   Vous pouvez

   you can

   baisser

   lower

   la luminosité

   the brightness

   ici

   here

   More detail

   Vous pouvez combines vous with the present-tense form pouvez of pouvoir (“can / be able to”). Vous can address one person formally or more than one person; the form pouvez is the same in both cases. After pouvoir, the next verb normally stays in the infinitive. Example: Vous pouvez fermer la porte. — “You can close the door.” baisser means “to lower” or “turn down.” It is an infinitive here because it follows pouvez. The same verb can describe lowering something physically or reducing a setting: Je baisse le son. — “I turn the volume down.” la luminosité means “the brightness.” Luminosité is a singular feminine noun, shown by la; the article belongs to the noun, not to baisser. A useful related contrast is la luminosité (“the brightness”) versus l’obscurité (“the darkness”). ici means “here” and locates the action at the relevant place. Example: Vous pouvez vous asseoir ici. — “You can sit here.” Together, Vous pouvez expresses permission or possibility in the fixed sentence, baisser la luminosité specifies the action and what is being reduced, and ici specifies where the control or action applies. The complete meaning is: “You can lower the brightness here.”

5. Je peux aussi utiliser l'imprimante ?

   Can I use the printer too?

   Je peux

   I can

   aussi

   too

   utiliser

   use

   imprimante

   printer

   More detail

   Je peux combines the subject pronoun je (“I”) with the first-person singular present form peux of pouvoir (“can; be able to”). The form peux is used with je; compare tu peux (“you can”) and il/elle peut (“he/she can”). Here, the fixed translation shows that pouvoir expresses permission: “Can I …?” aussi means “too” or “also”. It adds this action to something already relevant, without changing who performs the action. In this sentence it follows Je peux, but its position can vary in French depending on emphasis. utiliser is the infinitive “to use”. After pouvoir, French uses an infinitive: Je peux utiliser... means “I can use...”. The infinitive does not show the subject or tense here; peux carries the person and present-tense information. Example: Je peux attendre. — “I can wait.” imprimante means “printer”. It is a feminine noun: une imprimante means “a printer”, and l'imprimante means “the printer”. Before a vowel sound, the definite article la is shortened to l'; this is why the sentence has l'imprimante, not la imprimante. The noun’s feminine gender is a grammatical property of imprimante, not a claim about the physical object. Together, Je peux utiliser l'imprimante ? forms a question through its question intonation and question mark. The structure Je peux + infinitive asks whether the speaker is allowed or able to perform the action; with the supplied translation, the intended meaning is permission. aussi adds “too”, so the complete utterance means: “Can I use the printer too?”

6. Vous pouvez utiliser l'imprimante près du bureau.

   You can use the printer near the desk.

   Vous pouvez

   you can

   utiliser

   use

   l'imprimante

   the printer

   près du

   near the

   bureau

   desk

   More detail

   Vous pouvez means “you can” here. pouvoir is the infinitive; pouvez is its present-tense form with vous. Vous can address one person formally or more than one person, so the form alone does not identify the number of people. With pouvoir, the next verb normally stays in the infinitive: Vous pouvez attendre. — “You can wait.” utiliser means “to use.” It is an infinitive, selected here after pouvez. The same form is also used after other modal expressions, for example: Je peux utiliser la machine. — “I can use the machine.” l'imprimante means “the printer.” imprimante is a feminine noun, and l' is the singular definite article used before a vowel sound; it is the elided form of la. The plural is les imprimantes. This form identifies the printer as a particular one in the situation, rather than asserting a quantity. près du means “near the.” It is the combination près de (“near”) + le (“the”); de le contracts to du. The construction can be reused with a masculine singular noun: près du téléphone — “near the telephone.” Before a feminine singular noun, the form is près de la, as in près de la porte — “near the door.” bureau means “desk” in the fixed translation. It is a masculine noun, so le bureau contracts with près de as près du bureau. Depending on context, bureau can also mean “office,” but “desk” is the intended sense here. Together, Vous pouvez utiliser l'imprimante près du bureau expresses permission or ability addressed to vous: “You can use the printer near the desk.” The infinitive utiliser follows pouvez, and près du bureau locates the printer near the desk.

7. J'utiliserai des écouteurs si je mets du son.

   I'll use headphones if I play any audio.

   J'utiliserai

   I will use

   écouteurs

   headphones

   si

   if

   mets

   play (audio)

   son

   sound; audio

   More detail

   J'utiliserai is the first-person singular future form of utiliser (“to use”): j'utilise = “I use,” while j'utiliserai = “I will use.” The subject pronoun je is shortened to j' before the vowel of utiliserai. The future form places the using in the future. écouteurs means “headphones” here. It is a plural noun; the preceding des is the plural indefinite article. Together, des écouteurs means “headphones,” without specifying a particular pair. si introduces a condition and means “if.” In this sentence, French uses a present-tense verb after si even though the result is future: si je mets ... + j'utiliserai .... mets is the first-person singular present form of mettre, whose basic meaning is “to put.” With du son, mettre du son is a common expression meaning “to play audio” or “to put on sound.” The subject is je, so the form is mets; this is distinct from the infinitive mettre. son means “sound” or “audio” here. In du son, du is the contraction of de and le; this partitive expression presents audio as an unspecified amount or material, not as a stated numerical quantity. The phrase mettre du son therefore means “to play some audio” in this context. The sentence combines J'utiliserai des écouteurs (“I will use headphones”) with si je mets du son (“if I play audio”). Together, it means: “I'll use headphones if I play any audio.”

8. Ça gardera la salle calme.

   That will keep the room quiet.

   Ça

   that; it

   gardera

   will keep

   salle

   room

   calme

   quiet

   More detail

   Ça is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” or “it” here. It refers to something understood from the situation, but the supplied sentence does not identify exactly what that is. Unlike a noun, ça does not change for masculine/feminine or singular/plural. Example: Ça fonctionne. — “That works.” gardera is the future form of garder, “to keep” or “to retain.” It is the simple future, third-person singular: garder → il/elle gardera. The future form presents the keeping as something that will happen. Example: Elle gardera la porte ouverte. — “She will keep the door open.” salle means “room.” Its useful base form is the feminine noun une salle; with a definite article, it is la salle. The plural is les salles. The noun refers to a room or hall, depending on context. Example: La salle est grande. — “The room is large.” calme means “quiet” or “calm.” Here it is an adjective describing la salle, and it agrees with that feminine singular noun. The form is spelled the same in masculine and feminine singular: un endroit calme, une salle calme; in the plural, it becomes calmes. Together, Ça gardera la salle calme follows the reusable pattern subject + future form of garder + object + adjective: something will keep the room quiet. The object is la salle, and calme describes the state in which the room will remain. The complete meaning is “That will keep the room quiet.”