Learn French: Je ne peux pas utiliser mon ordinateur.

Je ne peux pas utiliser mon ordinateur.

I cannot use my computer.

Breakdown of Je ne peux pas utiliser mon ordinateur.

l'ordinateur

the computer (m)

not (used before the verb)

pas

not (used after the verb)

Questions & Answers about Je ne peux pas utiliser mon ordinateur.

How do I make pouvoir negative in this sentence?

To say 'cannot', you wrap the negative words ne and pas around the conjugated verb. Je peux means 'I can', so 'I cannot' becomes Je ne peux pas.

Why isn't utiliser conjugated here?

When two verbs are used together to express a single idea like 'can use', only the first verb is conjugated. The second verb stays in its original dictionary form, called the infinitive. Here, the conjugated verb is peux and the infinitive is utiliser.

Why do we use mon for 'my' in this sentence?

In French, the word for 'my' changes based on the gender of the noun you own. Ordinateur (computer) is a masculine noun, so it requires the masculine form mon.

How do I pronounce mon ordinateur together?

Because ordinateur starts with a vowel, you pronounce the normally silent 'n' at the end of mon. This connects the two words together so it sounds like 'mo-nordinateur'. This smooth connection is called a liaison.