poder + Infinitive

Can and May with Poder

Level 2

Poder expresses ability, possibility or permission, depending on the situation.

How It Works

Learn the present forms of voler: vull, vols, vol, volem, voleu, volen. Poder has puc, pots, pot, podem, podeu, poden. Their irregular first-person forms are especially common in requests.

Poder covers several meanings that context distinguishes. Puc aixecar la caixa describes physical ability; puc entrar? asks permission; pot ploure describes possibility. For a learned skill, saber + infinitive is often more natural: sé nedar means I know how to swim.

Negation can mean inability or a prohibition depending on context: no pots aparcar aquí commonly means parking is not permitted here. A pronoun can go before the finite verb or after its infinitive: ho puc fer or puc fer-ho. Keep the infinitive unchanged for every person.

Examples (3)

  1. Puc seure aquí?

    May I sit here?

  2. No podem aixecar aquesta taula.

    We cannot lift this table.

  3. Pots venir o tens feina?

    Can you come, or do you have work?

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

poder + InfinitiveLevel 2Can and May with Poder

Learn This First

Know the present forms of poder before expanding their meanings.

Words in This Pattern

poder