Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| poder | /poˈdeɾ/ | masculine |
| poderío | /podeˈɾio/ | masculine |
| potestad | /potesˈtad/ | feminine |
poder is the most general term for power, referring to the ability to affect or influence. Other terms may be more specific: fuerza describes physical strength, dominio refers to power in the context of mastery or domination and autoridad emphasizes the concept of authority.
Which one should you use?
While poder is the general term for power, potestad is a formal term used specifically for legal or official authority and jurisdiction.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
poder is a masculine noun. The related verb potenciar means to enable or provide the impetus for something, while alimentar is used to mean providing power for something.
How do you pronounce it?
/poˈdeɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse the noun poder (power) with the verb poder (to be able to/can). They are spelled identically but function differently in a sentence.
Did you know?
- While 'to power' a machine in English sounds mechanical, in Spanish you might say alimentar, which literally means 'to feed'.
- The noun poder can refer to a legal 'power of attorney' document, which is called a poder notarial.
- Both poder and potestad share an ancestral root in the Latin word 'posse', which means 'to be able to'.
Examples in context
- Creo en su poder.I believe in your power.This sentence is useful for expressing belief in someone's poder.Tatoeba #8786588 by Shishir, translation #2665553 by _undertoad
- Abusa de su poder.He abuses his power.This sentence is useful for describing the abuse of poder.Tatoeba #7666433 by arh, translation #9011988 by jaydenms
- Tú solo quieres poder.All you want is power.This sentence is useful for stating a desire for poder.Tatoeba #3850921 by cueyayotl, translation #1125584 by Scott
- El presidente ejerce su poder para tomar decisiones importantes.The president exercises his power to make important decisions.
- La directora tiene la autoridad para aprobar tu solicitud.The director has the authority to approve your request.
- El imperio romano tuvo un gran dominio en Europa.The Roman Empire had great power in Europe.
- ¡Ese equipo de fútbol tiene un poderío impresionante!That football team has an impressive power!
- El empresario ejerce un gran poder económico en el mercado.The businessman exercises great economic power in the market.
- 105 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are discussing a political documentary.
- Sofía¿Crees que el poder es corrupto?Do you think power is corrupt?
- JavierNo lo sé, Sofía, depende de la persona.I don't know, Sofía, it depends on the person.
- SofíaJavier, el documental muestra mucha ambición.Javier, the documentary shows a lot of ambition.
- JavierEs cierto, la lucha por el poder es real.It's true, the struggle for power is real.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “power” translations and entries poder, poderío, potestad, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poder, poderío, potestad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
