Breakdown of Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe dans mon cahier.
Questions & Answers about Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe dans mon cahier.
Yes, réécrire literally means “to write again / to rewrite”.
- The prefix ré- means “again” or “back” (as in refaire = to do again, revenir = to come back).
- The base verb is écrire (to write).
Because écrire already starts with é, when you add ré- you get ré + écrire → réécrire, so there are two é in a row. It’s still just one word and one verb: to rewrite.
In ordinary speech, you don’t clearly pronounce two separate é sounds. It’s essentially pronounced as if there were only one long é:
- IPA: [ʁeekʁiʁ]
- Rough guide: “ray-kreer” (with a French r)
So:
- réé‑ is basically one long ré sound, not ré-é as two full syllables.
- Syllables: ré‑crire (2 syllables), not ré‑é‑crire (3).
In French, some verbs are followed directly by an infinitive (no preposition), and some require de or à.
Vouloir (to want) is one of the verbs that take the infinitive without any preposition:
- Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe. ✅
- Je veux de réécrire ce paragraphe. ❌
Other examples with vouloir:
- Je veux partir. – I want to leave.
- Il ne veut pas venir. – He doesn’t want to come.
By contrast:
- J’essaie de réécrire ce paragraphe. (try to rewrite)
- Je commence à réécrire ce paragraphe. (begin to rewrite)
Yes. Veux is the present tense, first person singular of vouloir:
- Je veux – I want
- Tu veux – You want (singular)
- Il/Elle/On veut – He/She/One wants
- Nous voulons – We want
- Vous voulez – You want (plural/formal)
- Ils/Elles veulent – They want
So Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe is present tense: I want to rewrite this paragraph (now / at this moment).
Both are grammatically correct but differ in tone:
Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe.
- Literally: I want to rewrite this paragraph.
- Can sound direct or a bit blunt, depending on context.
Je voudrais réécrire ce paragraphe.
- Literally: I would like to rewrite this paragraph.
- More polite / softer / tentative, often preferred in requests or formal situations.
In a classroom or polite conversation, Je voudrais… or J’aimerais… often sounds more natural if you’re expressing a wish rather than insisting.
Because paragraphe is:
- Masculine: un paragraphe
- Starts with a consonant sound: [p]
For masculine singular nouns:
- ce is used before a consonant sound: ce paragraphe, ce livre, ce garçon
- cet is used before a vowel sound or silent h: cet homme, cet arbre, cet hôtel
Cette is only for feminine singular nouns: cette phrase, cette table.
So:
- ce paragraphe ✅
- cet paragraphe ❌
- cette paragraphe ❌
Yes, you can say both, but they’re not identical in nuance:
Je veux réécrire le paragraphe.
- le = the paragraph (already known from context)
- More neutral, just identifies which paragraph you mean.
Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe.
- ce = this/that paragraph (demonstrative)
- Points to a specific paragraph, maybe one you’re indicating on the page or have just mentioned with emphasis.
In many real contexts, both could translate as “I want to rewrite this paragraph”, but ce is slightly more “pointing at” or “this one right here.”
Literally:
- dans = in / inside
- sur = on / on top of
When talking about writing in a notebook / exercise book, French uses dans because you’re writing inside the notebook, on its pages:
- Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe dans mon cahier.
I want to rewrite this paragraph in my notebook (inside, on the pages). ✅
Sur mon cahier would mean physically on top of the notebook (on the cover), which is usually not what you mean:
- Il a écrit son nom sur mon cahier.
He wrote his name on my notebook (e.g. on the cover).
Cahier is closest to an exercise book / notebook used for school, notes, or exercises:
- Schoolchildren usually have des cahiers for each subject.
- Adults can also have un cahier for notes, journaling, etc.
Other related words:
- un carnet – usually a small notebook / notepad, often pocket-sized.
- un bloc-notes – a pad of paper (often with tear-off sheets).
- un classeur – a binder with loose-leaf pages.
In most learning/school contexts, cahier = notebook/exercise book is a good translation.
That word order is possible but sounds more marked or slightly heavier. The most natural and neutral order is:
- Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe dans mon cahier. ✅
(Subject – verb – object – location)
Other orders:
- Je veux réécrire dans mon cahier ce paragraphe.
Grammatically correct, but puts more emphasis on dans mon cahier, and may sound a bit awkward in everyday speech.
In everyday French, stick with:
- Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe dans mon cahier.
No, not in standard French. You need the subject pronoun:
- Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe. ✅
- Veux réécrire ce paragraphe. ❌ (wrong as a normal statement)
Unlike English (where you always have the subject) and some other languages (where endings show the subject clearly), in French the pronoun is normally required in statements and questions:
- Je veux…, Tu veux…, Il veut…, etc.
The main exception for dropping the subject is the imperative (commands), but that uses different forms:
- Réécris ce paragraphe dans ton cahier. – Rewrite this paragraph in your notebook.
A few points:
Je veux:
- veux is pronounced [vø], with a silent x.
- No liaison between veux and réécrire: you do not say veuz-réécrire.
ce paragraphe:
- No liaison: ce [sə] + paragraphe [paʁaɡʁaf].
dans mon:
- Often there is a liaison in careful or neutral speech: [dɑ̃ mɔ̃] (the s of dans links as a [z] or is simply not clearly heard; many speakers just say [dɑ̃ mɔ̃]).
- In rapid everyday speech you may or may not hear the liaison clearly.
mon cahier:
- No liaison; mon [mɔ̃] + cahier [kajɛ].
- cahier has two syllables: ca‑hier ([ka‑jé]).
Yes, but the meaning changes slightly:
Je veux réécrire ce paragraphe.
Emphasizes desire / intention: I want to rewrite this paragraph.Je vais réécrire ce paragraphe.
Emphasizes near future: I am going to rewrite this paragraph (soon).
You can even combine them:
- Je veux le réécrire et je vais le faire tout de suite.
I want to rewrite it and I’m going to do it right away.