Poder Conjugation in Spanish, Translation, and Examples

Poder is a common auxiliary verb that is frequently used as the equivalent of can or to be able to. The verb poder is prominently featured in the famous phrase Sà ­ se puede can be loosely translated as Yes, we can, or somewhat literally as It certainly can be. The conjugation of poder is highly irregular; it is a stem-changing verb, since the -o- in the stem often changes to -u- or -ue-, and the ending may also change. There are no other verbs that follow the same pattern. Poder conjugations include the indicative mood (present, past, conditional, future), the subjunctive mood (present and past), the imperative mood, and other verb forms. Poder Present Indicative In the present indicative tense, the stem change o to ue occurs in all the conjugations except nosotros and vosotros. Yo puedo Yo puedo hablar dos idiomas. I can speak two languages. Tà º puedes Tà º puedes bailar bien. You can dance well. Usted/à ©l/ella puede Ella puede hacer un excelente trabajo. She can do an excellent job. Nosotros podemos Nosotros podemos correr una maratà ³n. We can run a marathon. Vosotros podà ©is Vosotros podà ©is ir a la fiesta. You can go to the party. Ustedes/ellos/ellas pueden Ellos pueden tocar un instrumento. They can play an instrument. Preterite Indicative There are two forms of the past tense in Spanish: the preterite and the imperfect. The preterite describes completed actions in the past. Some verbs have slightly different meanings when they are conjugated in the preterite versus the imperfect. When using poder in the preterite, it implies that the action was successfully accomplished, while in the imperfect tense it only gives the sense that the subject had the ability to do the action, but it is not clear whether it was accomplished or not. For this reason, poder in the preterite is translated as was able to. Also, notice that the stem changes from o to u for this irregular conjugation of the preterite. Yo pude Yo pude hablar dos idiomas. I was able to speak two languages. Tà º pudiste Tà º pudiste bailar bien. You were able to dance well. Usted/à ©l/ella pudo Ella pudo hacer un excelente trabajo. She was able to do an excellent job. Nosotros pudimos Nosotros pudimos correr una maratà ³n. We were able to run a marathon. Vosotros pudisteis Vosotros pudisteis ir a la fiesta. You were able to go to the party. Ustedes/ellos/ellas pudieron Ellos pudieron tocar un instrumento. They were able to play an instrument. Imperfect Indicative The imperfect tense describes ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Poder in the imperfect tense implies that someone had the ability to do something, but it doesnt say whether they did it or not. Therefore, poder in the imperfect can be translated as could or used to be able to. Yo podà ­a Yo podà ­a hablar dos idiomas. I could speak two languages. Tà º podà ­as Tà º podà ­as bailar bien. You could dance well. Usted/à ©l/ella podà ­a Ella podà ­a hacer un excelente trabajo. She coulddo an excellent job. Nosotros podà ­amos Nosotros podà ­amos correr una maratà ³n. We could run a marathon. Vosotros podà ­ais Vosotros podà ­ais ir a la fiesta. You could go to the party. Ustedes/ellos/ellas podà ­an Ellos podà ­an tocar un instrumento. They could play an instrument. Future Indicative The future tense is usually conjugated by starting with the infinitive form, but notice that poder is irregular, since it uses the stem podr- instead. Yo podrà © Yo podrà © hablar dos idiomas. I will be able to speak two languages. Tà º podrà ¡s Tà º podrà ¡s bailar bien. You will be able todance well. Usted/à ©l/ella podrà ¡ Ella podrà ¡hacer un excelente trabajo. She will be able todo an excellent job. Nosotros podremos Nosotros podremos correr una maratà ³n. We will be able torun a marathon. Vosotros podrà ©is Vosotros podrà ©is ir a la fiesta. You will be able togo to the party. Ustedes/ellos/ellas podrà ¡n Ellos podrà ¡n tocar un instrumento. They will be able toplay an instrument. Periphrastic  Future Indicative   Yo voy a poder Yo voya poder hablar dos idiomas. I am going to be able to speak two languages. Tà º vasa poder Tà º vasa poder bailar bien. You aregoing to be able todance well. Usted/à ©l/ella vaa poder Ella vaa poder hacer un excelente trabajo. She isgoing to be able todo an excellent job. Nosotros vamosa poder Nosotros vamosa poder correr una maratà ³n. We aregoing to be able torun a marathon. Vosotros vaisa poder Vosotros vaisa poder ir a la fiesta. You aregoing to be able togo to the party. Ustedes/ellos/ellas vana poder Ellos vana poder tocar un instrumento. They aregoing to be able toplay an instrument. Present Progressive/Gerund Form The progressive tenses use estar with the gerund, pudiendo. Notice that the stem changes from o to u in the gerund. Although the auxiliary verb poder can be used in the progressive form, it is not really used in that way in English, thus the translation might sound a bit awkward. Present Progressive ofPoder està ¡ pudiendo Ella està ¡ pudiendo hacer un excelente trabajo. She is being able to do an excellent job. Past Participle The perfect tenses are made by using the appropriate form of haber and the past participle, podido. Present Perfect of Poder ha podido Ella ha podido hacer un excelente trabajo. She has been able to do an excellent job. Conditional Indicative Just like the future tense, the conditional tense is usually conjugated by starting with the infinitive form, but in the case of poder the stem is actually podr-. Yo podrà ­a Yo podrà ­a hablar dos idiomas si viviera en otro paà ­s. I would be able to speak two languages if I lived in another country. Tà º podrà ­as Tà º podrà ­as bailar bien si practicaras mà ¡s. You would be able todance well if you practiced more. Usted/à ©l/ella podrà ­a Ella podrà ­ahacer un excelente trabajo, pero es muy perezosa. She would be able todo an excellent job, but she is very lazy. Nosotros podrà ­amos Nosotros podrà ­amos correr una maratà ³n si entrenà ¡ramos suficiente. We would be able torun a marathon if we trained enough. Vosotros podrà ­ais Vosotros podrà ­ais ir a la fiesta si te dieran permiso. You would be able togo to the party if you got permission. Ustedes/ellos/ellas podrà ­an Ellos podrà ­an tocar un instrumento si tomaran clases. They would be able toplay an instrument if they took lessons. Present Subjunctive The present subjunctive has the stem change o to ue in all of the conjugations except nosotros and vosotros, just like in the present indicative tense. Que yo pueda Mamà ¡ espera que yo pueda hablar dos idiomas. Mom hopes that I can speak two languages. Que tà º puedas El instructor espera que tà º puedas bailar bien. The instructor hopes that you can dance well. Que usted/à ©l/ella pueda El jefe espera que ella pueda hacer un excelente trabajo. The boss hopes that she can do an excellent job. Que nosotros podamos El entrenador espera que nosotros podamos correr una maratà ³n. The trainer hopes that we can run a marathon. Que vosotros podà ¡is Patricia espera que vosotros podà ¡is ir a la fiesta. Patricia hopes that you can go to the party. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas puedan Su padre espera que ustedes puedan tocar un instrumento. Your father hopes that you can play an instrument. Poder Imperfect Subjunctive There are two options for conjugating the imperfect subjunctive, and both options have the stem change o to u. Option 1 Que yo pudiera Mamà ¡ esperaba que yo pudiera hablar dos idiomas. Mom hoped that I could speak two languages. Que tà º pudieras El instructor esperaba que tà º pudieras bailar bien. The instructor hoped that you could dance well. Que usted/à ©l/ella pudiera El jefe esperaba que ella pudiera hacer un excelente trabajo. The boss hoped that she could do an excellent job. Que nosotros pudià ©ramos El entrenador esperaba que nosotros pudià ©ramoscorrer una maratà ³n. The trainer hoped that we could run a marathon. Que vosotros pudierais Patricia esperaba que vosotros pudierais ir a la fiesta. Patricia hoped that you could go to the party. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas pudieran Su padre esperaba que ustedes pudieran tocar un instrumento. Your father hoped that you could play an instrument. Option 2 Que yo pudiese Mamà ¡ esperaba que yo pudiese hablar dos idiomas. Mom hoped that I could speak two languages. Que tà º pudieses El instructor esperaba que tà º pudieses bailar bien. The instructor hoped that you could dance well. Que usted/à ©l/ella pudiese El jefe esperaba que ella pudiese hacer un excelente trabajo. The boss hoped that she could do an excellent job. Que nosotros pudià ©semos El entrenador esperaba que nosotros pudià ©semoscorrer una maratà ³n. The trainer hoped that we could run a marathon. Que vosotros pudieseis Patricia esperaba que vosotros pudieseis ir a la fiesta. Patricia hoped that you could go to the party. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas pudiesen Su padre esperaba que ustedes pudiesen tocar un instrumento. Your father hoped that you could play an instrument. Poder Imperative The imperative mood is used to give orders or commands. It is not common to give someone the command to be able to do something. Therefore, the imperative forms of poder sound awkward, especially in the negative forms. Positive Commands Tà º puede  ¡Puede bailar bien! Be able to dance well! Usted pueda  ¡Pueda hacer un excelente trabajo! Be able to do an excellent job! Nosotros podamos  ¡Podamos correr una maratà ³n! Let's be able to run a marathon! Vosotros poded  ¡Poded ir a la fiesta! Be able to go to the party! Ustedes puedan  ¡Puedan tocar un instrumento! Be able to play an instrument! Negative Commands Tà º no puedas  ¡No puedas bailar bien! Don't be able to dance well! Usted no pueda  ¡No pueda hacer un excelente trabajo! Don't be able to do an excellent job! Nosotros no podamos  ¡No podamos correr una maratà ³n! Let's not be able to run a marathon! Vosotros no podà ¡is  ¡No podà ¡is ir a la fiesta! Don't be able to go to the party! Ustedes no puedan  ¡No puedan tocar un instrumento! Don't be able to play an instrument!