Can: possum

Level 3

Can, followed by an infinitive.

How It Works

PersonLatinEnglish
IpossumI can
youpotesyou can
he, shepotesthe can
wepossumuswe can
you allpotestisyou all can
theypossuntthey can

The t of pot- turns into s before an s (possum, possumus, possunt) and stays before an e (potes, potest, potestis).

Other tenses: poteram (I could), potero (I will be able) and potui (I was able). Latin joins the infinitive straight to possum, with nothing in between.

Potes ends in -s and means you can. Potest ends in -st and means he or she can. One letter separates the two.

Examples (5)

  1. Marcus legere potest.

    Marcus can read.

    Legere is the infinitive. It follows potest with nothing in between.

  2. Possumus venire.

    We can come.

    Possumus is the we form.

  3. Potesne cantare?

    Can you sing?

    The -ne turns it into a question.

  4. Iulia saltare non poterat.

    Iulia could not dance.

    Poterat is the imperfect, and non goes before the verb.

  5. Deum audire possumus.

    We can hear God.

    Audire is the infinitive, and it stands before possumus.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the second verb in a personal form.

    Possum lego.
    Possum legere.

    After possum the second verb is an infinitive: legere. Latin does not say I can I read.

  • Giving possum a regular ending.

    Marcus potet legere.
    Marcus legere potest.

    The third person of possum is potest. Potet belongs to a different verb, poto, to drink.

How It Connects

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

Can: possumLevel 3

Learn This First

Possum is built from sum and takes an infinitive.

Words in This Pattern

possum