French Phrase
Le Wi‑fi peut être plus lent.
Meaning
The sentence states that the Wi‑Fi connection may be slower than usual. It is a neutral observation that the speed can vary, often used when troubleshooting or explaining a temporary drop in performance.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking about internet speed problems at home, in a café, or in the office, especially when you want to suggest that the slowness is possible but not certain.
✦Grammar Breakdown
LeWi‑fipeutêtrepluslent
Peut (pouvoir)
‘Peut’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘pouvoir’, used here as a modal verb meaning ‘can’ or ‘may’.
Être (infinitive)
After a modal verb, the infinitive ‘être’ follows to form the verb phrase ‘peut être’ (can be).
Plus + adjective (comparative)
‘Plus’ placed before an adjective makes a comparative meaning ‘more …’ or ‘…er’; no ‘que’ is needed when the reference is understood.
Adjective agreement
‘Lent’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes; here ‘Wi‑fi’ is masculine singular, so ‘lent’ stays unchanged.
🗨In Conversation
Le Wi‑fi peut être plus lent aujourd'hui.
The Wi‑Fi might be slower today.
Oui, j'ai remarqué que les pages mettent plus de temps à charger.
Yes, I’ve noticed that pages are taking longer to load.
✕Common Mistakes
Le Wi‑fi peut être plus lent que.
The ‘que’ is unnecessary when the comparison is implicit; saying ‘plus lent que d’habitude’ is correct, but just ‘plus lent’ suffices here.
Le Wi‑fi est plus lent.
Using ‘est’ makes a statement of fact; the original phrase expresses possibility, so keep the modal ‘peut être’.
Le Wi‑fi peut être plus lente.
‘Lente’ is the feminine form; ‘Wi‑fi’ is masculine, so the adjective must stay masculine.
↔Alternatives
Le réseau Wi‑fi peut être plus lent.
The Wi‑Fi network can be slower.
Le signal Wi‑fi peut être plus lent.
The Wi‑Fi signal can be slower.
Le Wi‑fi est parfois plus lent.
The Wi‑Fi is sometimes slower.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘Wi‑fi’ is treated as a masculine noun, so you say ‘le Wi‑fi’. When using the comparative ‘plus + adjective’, you can omit ‘que’ if the reference point is clear from context, which is common in everyday speech.