Breakdown of Peux-tu me dire la date de la réunion?
tu
you (informal singular)
de
of
pouvoir
to be able to
la réunion
the meeting
Questions & Answers about Peux-tu me dire la date de la réunion?
Why is peux-tu inverted, and what does that do?
Peux-tu is an example of subject-verb inversion, a common way to form a question in formal or standard written French.
- tu peux = you can
- peux-tu ? = can you?
So:
- Tu peux me dire la date de la réunion. = statement
- Peux-tu me dire la date de la réunion ? = question
This inversion is a bit more formal than everyday spoken French. In casual speech, people often say:
- Tu peux me dire la date de la réunion ?
Both mean the same thing.
Why is it peux-tu and not peus-tu?
Because the verb is pouvoir (to be able to / can), and its tu form in the present tense is tu peux.
Present tense:
- je peux
- tu peux
- il/elle/on peut
- nous pouvons
- vous pouvez
- ils/elles peuvent
So when inverted, tu peux becomes peux-tu.
What does me mean here?