French Phrase
Tu peux surveiller ce que fait le technicien.
Meaning
Literally, ‘You can monitor what the technician does.’ It conveys that the listener has the ability or permission to keep an eye on the technician’s actions, often for quality‑control or safety reasons.
When to use
Use this sentence in a workplace or technical‑support context when you want to tell a colleague that they are allowed to watch the technician’s work, for example during a training session, an audit, or when troubleshooting a problem.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tupeuxsurveillercequefaitletechnicien.
Pouvoir (peux)
‘Peux’ is the 2nd‑person singular present of the modal verb *pouvoir*, used to express ability or permission.
Infinitive after pouvoir
When *pouvoir* is followed by another verb, that verb stays in the infinitive (e.g., *surveiller*).
Ce que (relative pronoun)
‘Ce que’ introduces a relative clause meaning ‘what/that which’. It replaces the object of the verb in the subordinate clause.
Faire (fait)
‘Fait’ is the 3rd‑person singular present of *faire* – here it means ‘does’ or ‘is doing’.
Article + noun (le technicien)
‘Le technicien’ is a definite noun phrase meaning ‘the technician’.
🗨In Conversation
Tu peux surveiller ce que fait le technicien pendant qu’il installe le nouveau routeur.
You can monitor what the technician does while he installs the new router.
D’accord, je prendrai des notes au fur et à mesure.
Alright, I’ll take notes as we go.
✕Common Mistakes
Tu peux surveiller le technicien.
‘Surveiller le technicien’ means ‘to spy on the technician’, which changes the meaning.
Tu peux surveiller le technicien ce que fait.
The relative clause should stay after *surveiller*; moving it changes the structure and sounds less natural.
Tu peut surveiller ce que fait le technicien.
The verb must agree with the subject *tu*; *peut* is 3rd‑person singular.
↔Alternatives
Tu peux observer ce que le technicien fait.
You can observe what the technician does.
Tu as la possibilité de suivre les actions du technicien.
You have the possibility to follow the technician’s actions.
Tu peux garder un œil sur le travail du technicien.
You can keep an eye on the technician’s work.
Cultural Tip
In French professional settings, *surveiller* can sound a bit authoritative. If you want to sound more collaborative, opt for *observer* or *suivre* instead. Also, remember that using *tu* implies a familiar relationship; with a colleague you don’t know well, you might prefer the polite *vous* – *Vous pouvez surveiller…*.