French Phrase
Je peux acheter quoi au duty‑free ?
Meaning
Literally, ‘What can I buy at the duty‑free?’ The speaker is asking which items are available for purchase without tax, usually in an airport or border shop.
When to use
Use this question while you are at an airport, on a cruise ship, or at any duty‑free outlet and you want to know the range of products you can purchase tax‑free.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jepeuxacheterquoiauduty‑free?
Pouvoir (peux)
‘Peux’ is the first‑person singular present of the modal verb ‘pouvoir’, used to express ability or permission.
Infinitive after modal
When ‘pouvoir’ is used, it is followed by an infinitive verb—in this case ‘acheter’ (to buy).
Interrogative ‘quoi’
‘Quoi’ is the interrogative pronoun for ‘what’ and is placed after the verb when the question is not a ‘wh‑question’ with inversion.
Contraction ‘au’
‘Au’ = à + le, meaning ‘to the’ or ‘at the’; it introduces the location ‘duty‑free’.
Loanword ‘duty‑free’
‘Duty‑free’ is an English loanword used unchanged in French to refer to tax‑free shops.
🗨In Conversation
Je peux acheter quoi au duty‑free ?
What can I buy at the duty‑free?
Tu peux acheter du parfum, du chocolat, du whisky, des lunettes de soleil…
You can buy perfume, chocolate, whisky, sunglasses…
✕Common Mistakes
Je peux acheter que au duty‑free ?
‘Que’ is used before a verb in a ‘wh‑question’ with inversion; after a modal verb you need ‘quoi’.
Je peux acheter quoi duty‑free ?
The preposition ‘au’ must be kept; dropping it makes the sentence ungrammatical.
Je peut acheter quoi au duty‑free ?
‘Peut’ is third‑person singular; with ‘je’ you need ‘peux’.
↔Alternatives
Qu'est‑ce que je peux acheter au duty‑free ?
What can I buy at the duty‑free?
Quels articles sont disponibles au duty‑free ?
Which items are available at the duty‑free?
Je peux prendre quoi au duty‑free ?
What can I take at the duty‑free?
Cultural Tip
Duty‑free shops are a staple of French airports and major train stations. While the term is English, it is fully accepted in French. Remember that there are limits on how much alcohol and tobacco you can bring back to the EU, so ask the staff if you’re unsure. Also, many French travelers look for perfume, chocolate, and regional specialties as gifts.