Je peux or je pourrais? French phrases for ability and requests

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated 11 October 2026 · About the library

Choose peux or pourrais in four everyday exchanges: stating ability, asking permission, requesting help and suggesting a plan, with a quick quiz.

A2
12 phrases
4 situations
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In short

Je peux means “I can”: it states present ability or asks permission. Je pourrais means “I could”: it offers a possibility or softens a request. Both take an infinitive directly: je peux aider, je pourrais aider.

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Two colleagues at a French office doorway as one asks the other for help with a plain folder. — Tu peux m’aider ? makes a friendly request for help. Illustration: Atelier

Study first: present and conditional

Subject	Present	Conditional
je	peux	pourrais
tu	peux	pourrais
il / elle / on	peut	pourrait
nous	pouvons	pourrions
vous	pouvez	pourriez
ils / elles	peuvent	pourraient

Objects for the exchanges

State what you can do

The present states your ability or availability now.

YouJe peux imprimer le document pour vous.I can print the document for you.

ColleagueMerci. Vous pouvez aussi imprimer la dernière page ?Thank you. Can you also print the last page?

YouOui, je peux le faire tout de suite.Yes, I can do it straight away.

Ask permission to do something yourself

Je makes you the person who will act. The conditional makes the question more tentative.

YouEst-ce que je pourrais m’asseoir ici ?Could I sit here?

ColleagueBien sûr. Vous pouvez prendre cette chaise.Of course. You can take this chair.

YouMerci beaucoup.Thank you very much.

Ask someone else for help

Vous or tu identifies the person you are asking to act.

YouPourriez-vous me prêter un stylo, s’il vous plaît ?Could you lend me a pen, please?

ColleagueOui, le voici.Yes, here it is.

YouMerci. Pourriez-vous aussi m’aider à remplir ce document ?Thanks. Could you also help me fill in this document?

Suggest a possible plan

Nous pourrions offers an option for both people to consider.

YouNous pourrions relire le document ensemble.We could reread the document together.

ColleagueBonne idée. Je peux venir à quatorze heures.Good idea. I can come at two o’clock.

YouD’accord, je vous attends ici.All right, I’ll wait for you here.

What is the difference between je peux and je pourrais?

Je pourrais ouvrir le dossier ? asks about opening it yourself. Pourriez-vous ouvrir le dossier ? asks the other person to open it. A present request such as Tu peux m’aider, s’il te plaît ? is also friendly; the conditional adds distance or tentativeness.

English “could” also describes past ability. For “At that time, I could help”, use à cette époque, je pouvais aider. That past meaning has a separate page below. Here pourrais presents an option or request from the current situation.