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N’appuie pas trop fort sur le clavier.

N’appuie pas trop fort sur le clavier.
Do not press too hard on the keyboard.
FromLesson 22inHardcore French
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Breakdown of N’appuie pas trop fort sur le clavier.

sur
on
trop
too
n' ... pas
not
le clavier
the keyboard
fort
hard
appuyer
to press

Questions & Answers about N’appuie pas trop fort sur le clavier.

What verb form is appuie here?
It’s the imperative (command) for tu from the verb appuyer. The sentence is a negative command: ne + verb + pas.
Why is it N’appuie and not Ne appuie?
Because of elision: ne becomes n’ before a vowel sound (as in appuie) or a mute h. So you must write N’appuie pas…, not Ne appuie pas….
Why does appuie end in -e and not -s?

With -er verbs in the imperative for tu, the final -s from the present tense drops: tu appuies → imperative appuie.
There’s one exception: in the affirmative imperative, you add back an -s when the verb is immediately followed by y or en for euphony:

  • Affirmative: Appuies-y doucement. / Manges-en. / Vas-y.
  • Negative (no added -s, pronouns go before the verb): N’y appuie pas trop fort. / N’en mange pas. / N’y va pas.
How is appuyer spelled and conjugated in the present and imperative?
  • Spelling change: y → i before a silent -e sound.
  • Present: j’appuie, tu appuies, il/elle appuie, nous appuyons, vous appuyez, ils/elles appuient
  • Imperative: appuie (tu), appuyons (nous), appuyez (vous)
Why sur le clavier and not just le clavier?

French uses the preposition sur with appuyer to mean “press on” something: appuyer sur le bouton / sur une touche / sur le frein.
Without a preposition, appuyer means something else (e.g., appuyer une thèse = to support an argument; appuyer quelque chose contre = to lean something against).

Can I replace sur le clavier with a pronoun?

Yes, replace sur le clavier with y:

  • Negative imperative: N’y appuie pas trop fort.
  • Affirmative imperative (add -s for euphony): Appuies-y doucement.
Is fort an adjective here? Should it be forte?

Here fort is an adverb meaning “hard/strongly,” so it’s invariable. You never write forte in this use. Compare:

  • Adverb: parler fort (speak loudly)
  • Adjective: un vent fort / une odeur forte (agrees with the noun)
What’s the nuance between trop fort and trop fortement?
  • trop fort is natural, everyday French for “too hard/too strongly.”
  • trop fortement is more formal/technical (e.g., in manuals or official instructions). In speech, trop fort sounds much better.
Can I use si instead of trop?

Yes, with a different nuance:

  • pas trop fort = not too hard (limit the intensity)
  • pas si fort = not that hard/so hard (dial back from the current level)
    Both are common; pas trop fort is the neutral default.
Could I say au clavier?
Not in this meaning. Sur le clavier means physically “on the keyboard” (pressing on it). Au clavier usually means “at the keyboard” (e.g., in a band: Elle est au clavier = she’s on keys), or simply “at the keyboard/workstation.”
Is there a polite or plural version?

Yes, use vous: N’appuyez pas trop fort sur le clavier.
For a very polite/official request: Veuillez ne pas appuyer trop fort sur le clavier.
For “let’s not …”: N’appuyons pas trop fort sur le clavier.

Are there close synonyms if I change the verb?
  • Ne tape pas trop fort sur le clavier. (don’t hit/type so hard; very common)
  • Ne frappe pas le clavier. (don’t hit the keyboard; sounds stronger, a bit scolding)
  • Ne presse pas trop fort les touches. (focuses on individual keys; more precise/formal)
Any pronunciation tips for the whole sentence?
  • N’appuie: [napɥi] — the ui is [ɥi], lips rounded then immediately to [i].
  • pas: [pa] — clear [a].
  • trop: [tʁo] — final p silent here.
  • fort: [fɔʁ] — final t silent.
  • sur: [syʁ] — French u is [y], not [u].
  • le: [lə].
  • clavier: [klavje] — final -ier is [je].
    Put it together smoothly: [napɥi pa tʁo fɔʁ syʁ lə klavje].
Is dropping ne okay in speech?

Yes, in casual speech: Appuie pas trop fort sur le clavier.
In writing or formal speech, keep ne: N’appuie pas…

Does this sentence imply pressing any key or the device as a whole?

Literally it’s the keyboard as a whole. If you mean specific keys, you’d say touche(s):

  • N’appuie pas trop fort sur les touches.
  • N’appuie pas trop fort sur la touche Entrée.

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