Je peux venir ?
In French, 'may I come?' is expressed as Je peux venir ?
This phrase is used to request permission to accompany someone or go to a place.
Which one should you use?
In casual, spoken French, the most common way to ask this is by using the phrase Je peux venir ? with rising intonation to turn the statement into a question.
How does it change in a sentence?
The inversion found in Puis-je venir ? is the formal grammatical structure used to ask 'May I come?'
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use Je peux venir ? to mean 'May I come' in formal settings. In those cases, Puis-je venir ? is more appropriate.
Did you know?
- The word venir is the root of the English word 'adventure', which comes from the Latin 'advenire' meaning 'to come to' or 'to happen'.
- While venir means 'to come', French speakers use it differently than English speakers. If you are going to a place where the listener already is, you must use venir even if you are technically 'going' there.
- In very casual speech, French speakers often drop the je and simply ask Peux venir ? or Je peux ? while gesturing toward the destination.
Examples in context
- Je peux entrer?Can I come in?
Example conversation
Lucas is asking Emma if he can join her walk.
- LucasTu vas au parc, Emma ?Are you going to the park, Emma?
- EmmaOui, j'y vais maintenant.Yes, I am going now.
- LucasJe peux venir ?May I come?
- EmmaBien sûr, Lucas, viens !Of course, Lucas, come on!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, venir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
