SpanishConjugationAll tenses
Poder (to be able to) · All tenses
By TutorLily Editorial Team
Poder is the modal verb 'can' or 'to be able to' — one of the highest-frequency Spanish verbs. It powers polite requests ('¿puedes ayudarme?'), permission ('puedes salir'), and ability ('puedo nadar'). Poder is a stem-changing verb (o→ue) in the present and subjunctive, and uses an irregular preterite (pude) and contracted future (podré).
Conjugation
poder · Present (Presente)
I can, you can, he/she can...
| To Be Able | Poder |
|---|---|
| I can | yo puedo |
| you can | tú puedes |
| he/she can | él/ella/usted puede |
| we can | nosotros/as podemos |
| you can | vosotros/as podéis |
| they can | ellos/ellas/ustedes pueden |
Conjugation
poder · Preterite (Pretérito indefinido)
I could, I managed to...
| To Be Able | Poder |
|---|---|
| I could | yo pude |
| you could | tú pudiste |
| he/she could | él/ella/usted pudo |
| we could | nosotros/as pudimos |
| you could | vosotros/as pudisteis |
| they could | ellos/ellas/ustedes pudieron |
Conjugation
poder · Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto)
I could, I was able to...
| To Be Able | Poder |
|---|---|
| I used to be able | yo podía |
| you used to be able | tú podías |
| he/she used to be able | él/ella/usted podía |
| we used to be able | nosotros/as podíamos |
| you used to be able | vosotros/as podíais |
| they used to be able | ellos/ellas/ustedes podían |
Conjugation
poder · Present Subjunctive (Presente de subjuntivo)
(that) I can, (that) I be able to...
| To Be Able | Poder |
|---|---|
| I be able | yo pueda |
| you be able | tú puedas |
| he/she be able | él/ella/usted pueda |
| we be able | nosotros/as podamos |
| you be able | vosotros/as podáis |
| they be able | ellos/ellas/ustedes puedan |
Conjugation
poder · Future (Futuro simple)
I will be able to, I will be able...
| To Be Able | Poder |
|---|---|
| I will be able | yo podré |
| you will be able | tú podrás |
| he/she will be able | él/ella/usted podrá |
| we will be able | nosotros/as podremos |
| you will be able | vosotros/as podréis |
| they will be able | ellos/ellas/ustedes podrán |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate poder in the present tense?
Poder in the present is: yo puedo, tú puedes, él/ella/usted puede, nosotros/as podemos, vosotros/as podéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pueden. The 'o' in the stem changes to 'ue' in the stressed forms (yo, tú, él, ellos) but stays 'o' in nosotros/vosotros — this is the standard o→ue stem-changing pattern.
What's an o→ue stem-changing verb?
About 40 common Spanish verbs change the stem vowel 'o' to 'ue' when stress falls on the stem — which happens in 4 of the 6 present-tense forms (yo, tú, él, ellos). Nosotros and vosotros keep the original 'o' because the stress shifts to the ending. Examples: poder (puedo), volver (vuelvo), dormir (duermo), encontrar (encuentro), contar (cuento), recordar (recuerdo).
How do I make polite requests with poder?
Three increasingly polite forms: '¿Puedes...?' (Can you...? — casual), '¿Podrías...?' (Could you...? — polite), '¿Pudieras...?' (Could you possibly...? — very polite/literary). For 'May I...?', use '¿Puedo...?' or '¿Podría...?'. Spanish stacks politeness through conditional and subjunctive forms of poder more than English does.
How do you conjugate poder in the preterite?
The preterite of poder is: yo pude, tú pudiste, él/ella/usted pudo, nosotros/as pudimos, vosotros/as pudisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pudieron. The stem switches to 'pud-' across all persons — part of the pretérito grave family alongside saber (supe), tener (tuve), and poner (puse).
Why does 'pude' mean 'managed to' instead of 'could'?
Poder is one of the meaning-shift preterite verbs. The imperfect 'podía' means 'was able to / had the ability' (without confirming the action happened). The preterite 'pude' carries the implication that the ability was exercised: 'pude abrir la puerta' implies the door did open. In the negative, 'no pude' implies failure: 'no pude abrirla' = I tried and failed. This contrast is one of the most-tested past-tense distinctions on Spanish proficiency exams.
Should I use 'pude' (preterite) or 'podía' (imperfect)?
Use 'pude' for completed attempts with a result: 'Ayer pude llamarte' (Yesterday I managed to call you — and I did). Use 'podía' for ongoing past ability: 'De niño, podía correr muy rápido' (As a child, I could run very fast — habitual ability). 'Podía haber...' (I could have...) is the imperfect; 'pude haber...' is rare and dialectal.
How do you conjugate poder in the imperfect?
Poder is regular in the imperfect: yo podía, tú podías, él/ella/usted podía, nosotros/as podíamos, vosotros/as podíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes podían. The accent on 'í' is required in every form. The o→ue stem change doesn't apply in the imperfect — it only affects the present and subjunctive.
When do I use 'podía' instead of 'pude'?
Use 'podía' for ongoing past ability or descriptions: 'Cuando era joven, podía correr maratones' (When I was young, I could run marathons — habitual). Use 'pude' for a specific completed attempt: 'Ayer pude correr cinco kilómetros' (Yesterday I managed to run five kilometres). The imperfect describes the capacity; the preterite confirms its use.
What does 'podía haber + participle' mean?
'Podía haber + past participle' (or its conditional twin 'podría haber + participle') means 'could have done X': 'Podía haber ido' (I could have gone). It expresses past possibility that may or may not have been realized. The participle stays invariable; the auxiliary haber agrees with the speaker. Use it for regret, criticism, or speculation about the past.
How do you conjugate poder in the present subjunctive?
The present subjunctive of poder is: yo pueda, tú puedas, él/ella/usted pueda, nosotros/as podamos, vosotros/as podáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes puedan. The o→ue stem-change applies in the stressed forms; nosotros and vosotros keep 'o' because stress shifts to the ending.
When do I need to use the subjunctive of poder?
Use it after triggers of doubt, emotion, will, hope, or impersonal expressions: 'Espero que puedas venir' (I hope you can come), 'Dudo que pueda hacerlo' (I doubt he can do it), 'Es posible que podamos llegar' (It's possible we can arrive). Any expression that introduces uncertainty about the ability triggers the subjunctive.
Why doesn't 'podamos' have the stem-change?
Stem-changing verbs only change when the stem itself is stressed. In 'podamos' and 'podáis', the stress falls on the ending (-amos, -áis), not on the stem 'pod-', so the 'o' stays unchanged. The same pattern affects volver (volvamos, not vuelvamos), encontrar (encontremos), and every other -ar/-er stem-changer.
How do you conjugate poder in the future?
The future of poder uses the irregular stem 'podr-': yo podré, tú podrás, él/ella/usted podrá, nosotros/as podremos, vosotros/as podréis, ellos/ellas/ustedes podrán. The infinitive 'poder' contracts to 'podr-' — same pattern as saber → sabr-, haber → habr-, caber → cabr-.
What's the difference between 'podré' and 'podría'?
'Podré' (future) = I will be able to; commits to a future ability. 'Podría' (conditional) = I would be able to / I could; softer, hypothetical, and often used for polite requests ('¿Podría ayudarme?' = Could you help me?). Both share the 'podr-' contracted stem but with different endings (-é vs -ía).
When should I use 'podré' instead of 'voy a poder'?
Both are correct future expressions. 'Podré' (simple future) feels slightly more formal, more committed, or further in time. 'Voy a poder' (going-to future) is more conversational for nearer-term ability. The simple future also expresses conjecture: '¿Podrá ayudarnos?' = 'Could he help us? / I wonder if he can help us.'
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