Question 1

Why use the infinitive verbs fermer and visser instead of the imperative fermez and vissez?

Accepted Answer

This is an impersonal command. French often uses the infinitive for general instructions where the writer isn't talking to one specific person. You will see this all the time in recipes, assembly manuals, and public signs. If a person were giving a direct command to you specifically, they would indeed use fermez and vissez.

Question 2

Could I use ensuite instead of puis to mean 'then' in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, ensuite and puis are completely interchangeable here. Both are great for listing sequential steps in instructions. Just remember a small structural difference for your own writing: ensuite can go at the very end of a sentence, but puis cannot.

Question 3

Does le couvercle act as the direct object for both verbs here?

Accepted Answer

Exactly! Just like in English, when two verbs in a coordinated instruction share the same direct object, you can just state the noun after the second verb. You don't need to repeat the noun or insert a direct object pronoun like le before the second verb.

Question 4

I know visser means 'to screw', but is it only used for hardware?

Accepted Answer

It is used for hardware (like a screw, which is une vis in French), but also for anything that attaches via a twisting thread, like a jar lid or a bottle cap. If you needed to take the lid off instead, you would use the opposite verb: d	visser (to unscrew).

Puis, fermer et visser le couvercle.

Breakdown of Puis, fermer et visser le couvercle.

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