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French Phrase

Tu peux m'expliquer ce point ?

/ty pø m‿ɛkspliˈkeʁ sə pwɛ̃/
Meaning"Can you explain this point to me?"
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Meaning

Literally, “Can you explain this point to me?” It is a polite request for clarification, often used when a speaker does not understand a detail in a discussion, lecture, or document.

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When to use

Use this sentence in informal or semi‑formal settings—classrooms, team meetings, or casual conversations with a peer—when you need a specific part of the conversation clarified. In a formal context, switch to ‘vous’ or a more courteous formulation.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Tupeuxm'expliquercepoint?

1

Pouvoir (present)

‘Peux’ is the 2nd‑person singular present of the modal verb pouvoir, used to ask for ability or permission.

2

Object pronoun ‘m’'

The clitic pronoun ‘m’ (me) is placed before the infinitive after a modal verb; the apostrophe replaces the vowel of ‘me’ before a vowel‑initial verb.

3

Infinitive after modal

When a modal verb (pouvoir, vouloir, devoir…) is followed by another verb, the second verb stays in the infinitive.

4

Demonstrative adjective ‘ce’

‘Ce’ points to a specific noun (point) and agrees in gender and number; here it is masculine singular.

🗨In Conversation

A

Tu peux m'expliquer ce point ?

Can you explain this point to me?

Bien sûr, il s'agit du principe de la relativité restreinte.

Sure, it’s about the principle of special relativity.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Tu peux expliquer moi ce point.

    The object pronoun must precede the infinitive and be contracted to ‘m’ before a vowel.

  • Tu peux m'expliquer ce point ? s'il te plaît.

    While not wrong, placing ‘s'il te plaît’ after the question mark is punctuation‑incorrect; it should be before the question mark.

  • Tu peux m'expliquer ce points ?

    ‘Point’ is singular; adding an ‘s’ makes it plural and changes the meaning.

↔Alternatives

  • Peux‑tu m'expliquer ce point ?

    Can you explain this point to me?

  • Pourrais‑tu m'expliquer ce point ?

    Could you explain this point to me?

  • Est‑ce que tu peux m'expliquer ce point ?

    Could you explain this point to me?

  • Vous pouvez m'expliquer ce point, s'il vous plaît ?

    Could you explain this point to me, please?

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Cultural Tip

In French, the level of formality is crucial. With friends or classmates, ‘tu’ is natural, but in a professional or academic setting you’ll often hear ‘vous’ to show respect. Adding ‘s'il vous plaît’ or ‘s'il te plaît’ makes the request even more courteous. Also, French speakers tend to prefer the inverted form ‘Peux‑tu…’ in written requests.