French Phrase
On peut jeter les trucs cassés.
Meaning
The sentence means “One can throw away broken things,” or more casually, “You can toss the broken stuff.” It expresses permission or possibility to discard items that are no longer functional.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re talking about clearing out damaged objects—whether at home, in a workshop, or while helping a friend tidy up. It’s informal, so it fits everyday conversation among friends or family.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onpeutjeterlestrucscassés
On (impersonal pronoun)
"On" is used like the English "one" or informal "you" to talk about people in general.
Peut (present of pouvoir)
Conjugated for "on"; remember it is "peut" (not "peux").
Jeter (infinitive)
Follows the modal verb "peut"; means "to throw" or "to discard".
Les (definite article)
Plural definite article that agrees with the noun "trucs".
Trucs (colloquial noun)
"Trucs" is informal for "things" or "stuff"; common in spoken French.
Cassés (past participle as adjective)
Agrees in gender and number with "trucs" (masculine plural), so the ending is -és.
🗨In Conversation
Les vieux jouets sont abîmés, on peut les jeter ?
The old toys are broken, can we throw them away?
Oui, on peut jeter les trucs cassés.
Yes, we can throw away the broken stuff.
✕Common Mistakes
On peux jeter les trucs cassés.
"Peux" is the 1st/2nd person form; with "on" you must use "peut".
On peut jeter les trucs cassé.
The adjective must agree with the plural noun "trucs"; use "cassés".
On peut jeter le truc cassés.
If you replace "trucs" with a singular noun, the article must change accordingly.
↔Alternatives
On peut se débarrasser des objets cassés.
We can get rid of the broken objects.
Il faut jeter les choses cassées.
We must throw away the broken things.
On peut mettre au rebut les trucs cassés.
We can discard the broken stuff.
Cultural Tip
In French, "on" often replaces "nous" in spoken language, giving a more relaxed tone. "Trucs" is a very colloquial word—use it with friends, but opt for "objets" or "choses" in formal contexts. Also, remember that adjectives like "cassés" must match the gender and number of the noun they describe.