Breakdown of Je ne peux pas atteindre la fenêtre.
je
I
ne ... pas
not
la fenêtre
the window
pouvoir
to be able to
atteindre
to reach
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Questions & Answers about Je ne peux pas atteindre la fenêtre.
Why are there both ne and pas in the sentence?
In standard French, negation is formed with two parts: ne comes before the conjugated verb (peux) and pas comes after it. Both are required in writing to make the sentence negative (“I cannot…”).
Can I drop ne and just say “Je peux pas atteindre la fenêtre”?
Yes, in informal spoken French it’s very common to drop ne and say Je peux pas atteindre la fenêtre. Just be aware that this is colloquial and generally avoided in formal speech and writing.
Why is atteindre in the infinitive form rather than conjugated?
Atteindre remains in the infinitive because pouvoir is a modal verb. In French, after a modal like pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, etc., the next verb always stays as an infinitive (“je peux + infinitive”).
Why isn’t there a preposition before la fenêtre (e.g., “à la fenêtre”)?
The verb atteindre is transitive, which means it takes a direct object. You don’t need any preposition. You simply say atteindre la fenêtre (“to reach the window”).
Why is it la fenêtre and not une fenêtre?
La is the definite article (“the”). You use it when you’re talking about a specific window that both speaker and listener know about. Une fenêtre would mean “a window,” implying any window, not that particular one.
Can you omit the subject pronoun je like in some other languages?
No. French requires subject pronouns before the verb. You must say Je; dropping it would make the sentence ungrammatical.
How would I refer back to la fenêtre with a pronoun?
Use the feminine direct-object pronoun la, which becomes l’ before a vowel. Since atteindre starts with a vowel, you say:
• Je ne peux pas l’atteindre.
What’s the difference between atteindre and toucher?
Atteindre means “to reach” or “to get to” something. Toucher means “to touch” or “to physically make contact.” You’d use atteindre if you’re talking about reaching the height of something or simply getting to it.
Could I say “Je n’arrive pas à atteindre la fenêtre” instead?
Yes. Arriver à + infinitive can also express difficulty or inability. So Je n’arrive pas à atteindre la fenêtre means roughly the same, though it emphasizes “I’m not managing to reach the window.”
Why does fenêtre have a circumflex accent (ˆ) over the e?
The circumflex in French often marks a historical dropped letter (usually an s). Old French had fenestre, and the s disappeared but left the accent. It’s part of the standard spelling, so you should include it.