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Je nettoie le clavier de mon ordinateur portable pour éviter la poussière.

Je nettoie le clavier de mon ordinateur portable pour éviter la poussière.
I clean the keyboard of my laptop to avoid dust.
FromLesson 13inHardcore French

Breakdown of Je nettoie le clavier de mon ordinateur portable pour éviter la poussière.

je
I
mon
my
de
of
pour
in order to
éviter
to avoid
nettoyer
to clean
le clavier
the keyboard
l'ordinateur portable
the laptop
la poussière
the dust

Questions & Answers about Je nettoie le clavier de mon ordinateur portable pour éviter la poussière.

What does nettoie mean, and how is it conjugated in this sentence?
Nettoie is the present tense form of the verb nettoyer for the first person singular. It means "clean" (or "am cleaning") and indicates that the speaker (“I”) is doing the cleaning.
What is the meaning of clavier, and why is the definite article le used before it?
Clavier means "keyboard" in English. The definite article le is used because the sentence refers to a specific object—the keyboard of the laptop—implying that it’s a known or previously identified item.
How do you interpret ordinateur portable in this context?
Ordinateur portable literally translates to "portable computer", which is the term used in French for a "laptop." The full expression is preferred to clearly indicate that it’s a computer you can move around.
What purpose does the phrase pour éviter la poussière serve in the sentence?
The phrase pour éviter la poussière means "to avoid the dust." It explains the purpose of cleaning the keyboard, with the preposition pour indicating that the action is taken with the goal of preventing dust accumulation.
Why is the preposition de used in le clavier de mon ordinateur portable?
The preposition de is used to show possession or a relationship between two nouns. In this case, it links le clavier (the keyboard) to mon ordinateur portable (my laptop), effectively meaning "the keyboard of my laptop" or "my laptop's keyboard."
Could pour éviter la poussière be replaced with afin d’éviter la poussière, and what is the difference?
Yes, afin d’éviter la poussière can be used as an alternative. Both phrases express purpose. However, pour éviter la poussière is more common and conversational, while afin d’éviter la poussière is slightly more formal.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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