Je crois que je peux lire le livre maintenant.

I believe that I can read the book now.

Breakdown of Je crois que je peux lire le livre maintenant.

• je: I
• lire: to read
• le livre: the book
• maintenant: now
• que: that
• croire: to believe
• pouvoir: can

Questions & Answers about Je crois que je peux lire le livre maintenant.

What does crois mean in this sentence?

Crois is the first-person singular present tense of the verb croire (to believe). So Je crois means I believe.

Why is que used here?

In French, que is a conjunction often used after verbs of thinking or believing to introduce a dependent clause. It’s similar to the word that in English, as in “I believe that I can read...”.

How is peux formed, and why is it spelled this way?

Peux is the first-person singular (and also second-person singular) present tense form of pouvoir (to be able to/can). The spelling reflects a change that happens in the stem when conjugating pouvoir in these forms (je peux, tu peux).

What is the difference between Je crois and Je pense?

Both can mean I think, but Je crois has more of a sense of belief or conviction, whereas Je pense more directly corresponds to I think or I am of the opinion. They can often be used interchangeably, but Je crois can sound slightly more certain or personal.

Does le livre specifically mean “the book” or could it mean “a book”?

Le livre literally means the book. If you wanted to say a book, you would use un livre. Using le implies you and your listener presumably know which book you’re talking about.

Why use maintenant here?

Maintenant means now in the sense of at this moment. It emphasizes that you’re able to start reading immediately, rather than at some unspecified future time.