31 Je vous en prie

Puis-je

“Puis-je” is a French expression that translates to “May I” or “Can I” in English. It’s a polite way to ask for permission or make a request. ¹

Aspect	Details
Origin	Comes from the verb “pouvoir” (to be able to, can); inverted form of “je peux.”
Usage	Politely asks for permission or makes a request. More formal than “Je peux?”
Pronunciation	Pronounced as “pwee-zh.”
Examples	Puis-je vous aider? (May I help you?) Puis-je avoir un verre d’eau, s’il vous plaît? (May I have a glass of water, please?) Puis-je vous poser une question? (May I ask you a question?)
Grammar Note	Followed by an infinitive verb. Already in inverted form, an exception to usual question formation.
Alternatives	Est-ce que je peux…? (Can I…?) - Less formal. Je peux…? (Can I…?) - Informal.
Cultural Context	Demonstrates politeness and respect, especially in formal or professional settings.

“Celui-ci” and “celui-là” are demonstrative pronouns in French. They are used to point out or refer to specific people or things. ²

Aspect	Celui-ci	Celui-là
Meaning	This one (masculine)	That one (masculine)
Usage	Refers to something closer (physically or in context)	Refers to something farther away (physically or in context)
Gender/Number Variations	- Celui-ci (m. sing.) - Celle-ci (f. sing.) - Ceux-ci (m. pl.) - Celles-ci (f. pl.)	- Celui-là (m. sing.) - Celle-là (f. sing.) - Ceux-là (m. pl.) - Celles-là (f. pl.)
Example	J’aime ce livre-ci. Celui-ci est intéressant. (I like this book. This one is interesting.)	J’aime ce livre-là. Celui-là est plus ancien. (I like that book. That one is older.)
In Comparisons	Often used to refer to the latter of two things mentioned	Often used to refer to the former of two things mentioned

Key points to remember:

These pronouns agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.
They can be used to avoid repetition in sentences.
In comparisons, “celui-ci” typically refers to the item mentioned last, while “celui-là” refers to the item mentioned first.
They can be used with or without a hyphen (celui-ci or celui ci), though the hyphenated form is more common.
These pronouns are more specific than the simple “ce” (this) or “ça” (that).
The choice between “celui-ci” and “celui-là” often depends on the context and the speaker’s perspective, rather than just physical distance.

to avoid repetition of a noun

J’en ai besoin rapidement I need one quickly
Tout le monde en parle, et j’en vends beaucoup. Everyone is talking about them, and I sell a lot of them.
Est-ce que vous en êtes sûr ? Are you sure of that?
Tous mes clients en sont contents, enfin, presque tous… All my customers are happy, well almost all…
Vous en avez besoin aujourd’hui ? Sinon, je peux en commander une pour demain. You need one today? If not, I can order one for tomorrow.

The French phrase “Je vous en prie” is a polite expression that translates to “You’re welcome” or “Please, go ahead” in English. ³

As a Response to Thanks:
- “Je vous en prie” is commonly used as a response when someone thanks you. It conveys that you are happy to help and that their gratitude is appreciated.
- Example:
  - A: Merci pour votre aide! (Thank you for your help!)
  - B: Je vous en prie! (You’re welcome!)
Encouraging Action:
- It can also be used to encourage someone to proceed with something, similar to saying “Please, go ahead” or “Feel free.”
- Example:
  - A: Puis-je entrer? (May I come in?)
  - B: Oui, je vous en prie! (Yes, please, go ahead!)

Je t’en prie: This is the informal version used with friends or family (using “tu” instead of “vous”).
Il n’y a pas de quoi: Another way to say “You’re welcome,” which literally means “There is nothing to it.”

mots	explications
la bouilloire	kettle
hors	hors de out of - être hors de danger to be out of danger - hors de question out of the question - hors de prix out of price, overpriced, outrageous
bien sûr	of course
sûr	sure - Tu es sûr ? Are you sure?
sur	on
appareil	MASC. device - Qui est à l’appareil ? Who’s speaking? (on phone)
tant	so much
pire	ADJ. worse
tant pis	too bad, never mind
prier	to pray to ³