French Phrase
Tu peux m'aider ?
Meaning
Literally, “You can help me?” It is a polite, informal way to ask someone if they are able and willing to give you assistance.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need a favor from a friend, a classmate, or anyone you address with ‘tu’. It works well in casual settings, at school, at work with close colleagues, or in everyday life when you want to keep the tone friendly and not overly formal.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tupeuxm'aider?
Subject pronoun (Tu)
‘Tu’ is the informal singular subject pronoun, used with friends, family, or peers.
Verb pouvoir (peux)
‘Peux’ is the 2nd‑person singular present of the modal verb ‘pouvoir’, meaning ‘can’ or ‘to be able to’.
Clitic pronoun (m')
‘m'’ is the contracted form of the direct object pronoun ‘me’ placed before a vowel‑initial verb.
Infinitive (aider)
‘aider’ is the infinitive ‘to help’; after ‘pouvoir’, the second verb stays in the infinitive.
Question intonation
In spoken French, a rising intonation at the end of the sentence turns a statement into a question without changing word order.
🗨In Conversation
Tu peux m'aider ?
Can you help me?
Bien sûr, que veux‑tu que je fasse ?
Sure, what do you want me to do?
✕Common Mistakes
Tu peux moi aider ?
The object pronoun must be placed before the verb and contracted to ‘m'’ because ‘aider’ starts with a vowel.
Tu peut m'aider ?
‘Peut’ is the 3rd‑person singular form; with ‘tu’ you need ‘peux’.
Tu peux aider moi ?
In French the infinitive never follows the object pronoun; the correct order is ‘m'aider’.
↔Alternatives
Peux‑tu m'aider ?
Can you help me?
Est‑ce que tu peux m'aider ?
Could you help me?
Tu pourrais m'aider, s'il te plaît ?
Could you help me, please?
Cultural Tip
In French, the level of politeness is often conveyed by the choice of pronoun and additional particles. While ‘tu’ is fine with people you know well, you would switch to ‘vous’ for strangers, elders, or in professional contexts: ‘Vous pouvez m'aider ?’. Adding ‘s'il vous plaît’ or ‘s'il te plaît’ makes the request even softer. Also, French speakers tend to avoid overly direct commands; framing a request as a question, as in this phrase, is considered courteous.