pouvoir (capacité / permission)

Pouvoir: Ability or Permission

Level 2

The verb pouvoir (can/to be able to) is a modal verb used to describe what is possible or allowed in a specific situation. It is followed directly by an infinitive.

How It Works

1. Meaning and Usage
Pouvoir is used in three main ways:

  • Circumstantial Ability: Physical capacity or external conditions (e.g., 'I can carry this' or 'I can come tomorrow').
  • Permission: Asking or giving leave to do something (e.g., 'Can I go out?').
  • Possibility: Indicating that something might happen (e.g., 'It can rain').

2. Sentence Structure
It belongs to the Verbs + bare infinitive group. You conjugate pouvoir and follow it immediately with the second verb in its base form.
Example: Je peux manger. (I can eat.)

3. Formal vs. Informal Questions
In everyday French, you use est-ce que or rising intonation. However, in very formal French, the first-person singular inversion is Puis-je... ?. You should never say 'Peux-je'.

4. Conjugation Stems
This is an irregular verb. Notice the stem changes:

  • peu- (singular): je peux, tu peux, il peut
  • pouv- (nous/vous): nous pouvons, vous pouvez
  • peuv- (plural): ils peuvent

Examples (5)

  1. Je peux porter ce sac, il n'est pas lourd.

    I can carry this bag; it isn't heavy.

    Word by Word: I can carry this bag, it not is not heavy.

    This demonstrates circumstantial ability—the bag's weight allows the person to carry it.

  2. Est-ce que je peux sortir avec mes amis ?

    Can I go out with my friends?

    Word by Word: Is it that I can go out with my friends?

    This is a standard way to ask for permission in a neutral register.

  3. Puis-je vous poser une question ?

    May I ask you a question?

    Word by Word: Can I you to pose a question?

    This uses the formal 'Puis-je' form for a polite request.

  4. On peut encore gagner le match.

    We can still win the match.

    Word by Word: One can still win the match.

    This expresses possibility—the outcome is still achievable.

  5. Il ne peut pas venir parce qu'il est malade.

    He cannot come because he is sick.

    Word by Word: He not can not come because that he is sick.

    This shows a lack of ability due to physical circumstances (illness).

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'pouvoir' to say you know a language.

    Different MeaningJe peux parler français.
    Je sais parler français.

    'Je peux parler français' is correct. It means you are able or allowed to speak French right now. To say you know the language because you learned it, use 'savoir': 'Je sais parler français'.

  • Using 'Peux-je' in questions.

    Peux-je entrer ?
    Puis-je entrer ? / Est-ce que je peux entrer ?

    'Peux-je' is grammatically incorrect. In formal inversion, 'peux' must change to 'puis'.

  • Conjugating the second verb.

    Je peux parle.
    Je peux parler.

    After a modal verb like 'pouvoir', the second verb must always remain in the infinitive (unconjugated) form.

How It Connects

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

pouvoir (capacité / permission)Level 2Pouvoir: Ability or Permission

Learn This First

Understanding 'pouvoir' for ability and permission requires knowledge of its present tense conjugation, the syntactic rule that it is followed by a bare infinitive, and how to form questions using inversion for formal requests.

Words in This Pattern

pouvoir