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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

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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