Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| potere | /poˈte.re/ | masculine |
| influenza | /in.fluˈɛn.t͡sa/ | feminine |
| capacità | /ka.pa.t͡ʃiˈta/ | feminine |
This term refers to the ability to affect or influence situations or people, often in a political, social or authoritative context.
Which one should you use?
While potere refers to authority or control, other words are used for different types of power. Use influenza to describe the ability to affect someone or something without formal authority. Use capacità when the power in question refers to a person's skill, competence or physical capacity. If you are describing physical, mechanical or structural strength, such as the horsepower of an engine or the power of a storm, use potenza instead of potere.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
potere is a masculine noun. influenza and capacità are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /poˈte.re/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse the noun potere (power) with the identical form of the infinitive verb potere, which means 'to be able to' or 'can'.
Did you know?
- When describing a power outage, Italians do not use potere or potenza but instead use mancanza di corrente, which literally means 'lack of current'.
- The Italian word for influence, influenza, is the exact same word used for the 'flu' or seasonal influenza.
- The word potenza is used for 'power' in mathematics and physics to describe 'exponents'. Raising a number to a power is called elevare a potenza.
Examples in context
- Ha fame di potere.He's power-hungry.This sentence is useful for expressing the concept of being power-hungry using potere.Tatoeba #11352348 by Nuel, translation #295966 by CM
- Ha potere su di me.He has power over me.This sentence shows how to describe having power over someone using potere.Tatoeba #11498560 by Nuel, translation #11498254 by Nuel
- Il denaro è potere.Money is power.This sentence illustrates the phrase 'money is power' using potere.Tatoeba #11907012 by Guybrush88, translation #3014151 by eirik174
- Lui ha il potere di prendere decisioni importanti.He has the power to make important decisions.
- La sua autorità nella società è ammirata da tutti.His authority in society is admired by all.
- Quella donna ha una forza interiore incredibile.That woman has an incredible inner strength.
- Quel treno accelera con grande potenza.That train accelerates with great power.
- Ha dimostrato molta grinta durante la gara.He showed a lot of determination during the race.
- 139 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are discussing a new manager at work.
- MatteoPensi che il nuovo capo abbia potere?Do you think the new boss has power?
- ChiaraSì, lei ha molto potere qui.Yes, she has a lot of power here.
- MatteoHa un grande potere decisionale.She has great decision-making power.
- ChiaraSpero che lo usi bene.I hope she uses it well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “power” translations and entries potere, influenza, capacità, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
