Le robinet est encore ouvert; sans savon, je ne peux pas bien me laver.

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Breakdown of Le robinet est encore ouvert; sans savon, je ne peux pas bien me laver.

• être: to be
• ne ... pas: not
• pouvoir: to be able to

Questions & Answers about Le robinet est encore ouvert; sans savon, je ne peux pas bien me laver.

Does encore here mean “still” or “again”? Could I use toujours instead?

Here, encore means still. Le robinet est encore ouvert = “The tap is still open.”

• Encore often implies “still, contrary to expectation.”
• Toujours can also mean “still,” but it’s more neutral or can even mean “always,” so context matters: Le robinet est toujours ouvert = “The tap is still open” (or “is always open,” depending on context).
• If you mean “again,” you’d typically use forms like à nouveau or de nouveau: Le robinet est à nouveau ouvert (“open again”), or with a verb: Le robinet s’est encore ouvert (“opened again”).

Why is it ouvert and not ouverte?

Agreement: robinet is masculine singular (le robinet), so the predicate adjective agrees as ouvert (not ouverte). If the noun were feminine, e.g., la porte, you’d say La porte est encore ouverte.

Why use ouvert/fermé for a tap instead of allumé/éteint?

For taps/valves, French uses ouvrir/fermer (open/close), not allumer/éteindre (switch on/off), which are for lights, devices, etc.

• Correct: J’ai fermé le robinet.
• Incorrect: J’ai éteint le robinet.