poder
/poˈdeɾ/
In Spanish, the phrase 'to be able to' is expressed by the verb poder.
poder is the most common and universal verb used to express the concept of being able to do something in Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative is puedo (I can / I am able to). In the past tense, there is a distinction between the preterite form pude and the imperfect form podía. Use pude to express that you successfully managed to do something at a specific moment in the past, whereas podía expresses an ongoing ability or a state of being able to in the past. For the future tense, the third-person singular form is podrá (he/she/it will be able to).
How do you pronounce it?
/poˈdeɾ/
Did you know?
- While poder expresses ability, Spanish uses the verb saber to express the ability to do something that requires a learned skill, such as playing an instrument.
- The phrase no poder más literally means 'to not be able more', but it is used idiomatically to say 'I can't take it anymore' or 'I am exhausted'.
- The verb poder shares an ancestor with the English word 'power', as both stem from the Latin 'potis' meaning 'able' or 'capable'.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría poder volar.I'd like to be able to fly.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire regarding the ability to fly with poder.Tatoeba #5017244 by don_ramon, translation #13054332 by araneo
- Quería poder leer mentes.I wanted to be able to read minds.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire regarding the ability to read minds with poder.Tatoeba #9366279 by ignacio, translation #9366285 by DJ_Saidez
- Quiero poder hablar inglés.I want to be able to speak English.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire regarding the ability to speak English with poder.Tatoeba #2813230 by marcelostockle, translation #256245 by CN
- Puedo hablar francés.I can speak French.
- No puedo ir a la reunión.I can't attend the meeting.
- Tengo la capacidad de resolver problemas complejos.I have the capacity to solve complex problems.
- Sé cantar muy bien.I can sing very well.
- No sé cocinar.I can't cook.
- Puedo ayudarte con tus tareas.I can help you with your homework.
- No puedo ir a la fiesta mañana.I can't go to the party tomorrow.
- No me puedo dormir temprano.I can't fall asleep early.
- Sé hacer tortilla de patatas.I can make Spanish omelet.
- No sé hacer punto.I can't knit.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry poder, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
