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French Phrase

Tu peux nettoyer ma chambre aujourd'hui ?

/ty pø nɛ.twa.je ma ʃɑ̃bʁ o.ʒuʁ.dɥi/
Meaning"Can you clean my room today?"
💡

Meaning

You are asking someone if they are able to clean your bedroom today. It is a polite, informal request that expects a yes‑or‑no answer.

🎯

When to use

Use this phrase with friends, family members, roommates, or anyone you address with ‘tu’. It works well in casual home settings when you need a favor but want to keep the tone friendly.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Tupeuxnettoyermachambreaujourd'hui?

1

Pouvoir (peux)

‘Peux’ is the 2nd person singular present of the modal verb ‘pouvoir’, used to ask if someone is able to do something.

2

Infinitive after modal

When ‘pouvoir’ is used, it is followed by an infinitive verb (here ‘nettoyer’).

3

Possessive adjective (ma)

‘Ma’ agrees with the feminine noun ‘chambre’ and means ‘my’.

4

Adverb of time (aujourd'hui)

‘Aujourd'hui’ means ‘today’ and is placed at the end of the sentence for emphasis.

5

Informal yes‑no question

The sentence is an informal spoken question; the rising intonation is understood without ‘est‑ce que’ or inversion.

🗨In Conversation

A

Tu peux nettoyer ma chambre aujourd'hui ?

Can you clean my room today?

Oui, bien sûr ! Je m'en occupe cet après‑midi.

Yes, of course! I’ll take care of it this afternoon.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Tu peut nettoyer ma chambre aujourd'hui ?

    ‘Peut’ is the 3rd person singular form; with ‘tu’ you need ‘peux’.

  • Tu peux nettoyer ton chambre aujourd'hui ?

    ‘Ton’ is masculine; the noun ‘chambre’ is feminine, so you must use ‘ma’.

  • Tu peux nettoyer ma chambre aujourd hui ?

    The apostrophe is essential; writing ‘aujourd hui’ is incorrect.

  • Tu peux nettoies ma chambre aujourd'hui ?

    After ‘pouvoir’, the verb stays in the infinitive; do not conjugate it (e.g., ‘nettoies’).

↔Alternatives

  • Est‑ce que tu peux nettoyer ma chambre aujourd'hui ?

    Can you clean my room today?

  • Peux‑tu nettoyer ma chambre aujourd'hui ?

    Can you clean my room today?

  • Tu pourrais nettoyer ma chambre aujourd'hui ?

    Could you clean my room today?

  • Tu peux ranger ma chambre aujourd'hui ?

    Can you tidy up my room today?

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Cultural Tip

In French, using ‘pouvoir’ to make a request is considered polite, especially when you add ‘s’il te plaît’ or soften the request with ‘tu pourrais…’. Avoid sounding too demanding; a smile and a thank‑you (merci) go a long way. In formal contexts you would replace ‘tu’ with ‘vous’ and possibly use ‘est‑ce que’ or inversion.