# 12. The Verb “Poder”

- **Time range:** 00:43:53 – 00:47:03  (duration 00:03:10)
- **Source:** [A Complete Guide To Every Fundamental In Spanish (The Conclusion)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHDZSHCt1DE&t=2633s)

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> **[on-screen 00:43:53]**
> Poder - to can/be able to:

**[00:43:54]** means to can or to be able to but it's mainly used as to can in English the

> **[on-screen 00:43:58]**
> To can: Ican | Wecan You can | Y'all can He/She/It can | They can

**[00:43:58]** syntax of this verb is very easy to remember because can literally stays can

> **[on-screen 00:44:01]**
> To can: Ican | Wecan You can | Y'all can He/She/It can | They can

**[00:44:02]** for the following six pronouns in

> **[on-screen 00:44:04]**
> Poder - to can/be able to:

**[00:44:04]** Spanish however you have six different conjugations for this verb and it also falls into the category of stem changing verbs stem changing verbs in Spanish is actually a topic for a future video but as far as the verb ped goes stem changing basically means that you have to take the stem of the verb and modify it in a way so that it sounds better when the word is said out loud the verb

> **[on-screen 00:44:20]**
> Stem-changing verb: "poder" (0 -> ue)

**[00:44:20]** P falls into the o to U category which means that you'll take the stem of p po

> **[on-screen 00:44:26]**
> Stem-changing verb: "poder" (0 -> ue) po

**[00:44:26]** and then change it to pu however this

> **[on-screen 00:44:27]**
> Stem-changing verb: "poder" (o -> ue) pue

**[00:44:28]** principle only applies to the yo to L

> **[on-screen 00:44:30]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo (Tu) puedes (El puede | (Ellos) pueden

**[00:44:31]** and AOS pronouns and the ending of all

> **[on-screen 00:44:32]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo (Tu) puedes (El) puede | (Ellos) pueden

**[00:44:32]** of them correctly follows the regular syntax of verbs ending in erer for the

> **[on-screen 00:44:36]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo | (Nosotros) podemos (Td) puedes | (Vosotros) podéis (El) puede | (Ellos) pueden

**[00:44:36]** noos and votos pronouns the stem changing rule does not apply because Spanish says that these pronouns sound good enough when they're normally conjugated overall you just have to know that the stem changing rule applies to the Y to L and AOS pronouns another way

> **[on-screen 00:44:49]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo | (Nosotros) podemos (Tu) puedes | (Vosotros) podéis (El) puede | (Ellos) pueden

**[00:44:49]** to remember this is by looking at the shape of the 2x3 chart and seeing that

> **[on-screen 00:44:52]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo | (Nosotros) podemos (Td) puedes | (Vosotros) podéis (El).puede | (Ellos)spueden

**[00:44:52]** it's shaped like a boot and so only pronouns within the boot will apply to the stem ch changing rule anything else

> **[on-screen 00:44:57]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo | (Nosotros) podemos < (Tu) puedes | (Vosotros) podéis x (El).puede | (Ellos)spueden

**[00:44:57]** outside of the boot will not use the stem changing Rule and every stem changing verb that you will encounter when learning Spanish will almost never use the stem changing rule for the noos and Vos pronouns the pronunciation goes

> **[on-screen 00:45:06]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo | (Nosotros) podemos (Td) puedes | (Vosotros) podéis (El) puede | (Ellos) pueden

**[00:45:07]** as follows y PUO I can to pues you we can and AOS they can as always try

> **[on-screen 00:45:23]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo | (Nosotros) podemos (Tu) puedes ) podéis (El) puede | (Ellos) pueden

**[00:45:23]** not focusing on these pronouns because the phrases that you can make with them are not that useful the only thing you should know about them is that they don't apply the stem changing rule fundamentally the verb p in Spanish is actually one of the most useful and practical verbs that there are because it's a universal verb that we subconsciously use in many sentences typically the way the verb to can is used in English is by starting a sentence with a pronoun and can such as

> **[on-screen 00:45:44]**
> To can in English: I can

**[00:45:44]** I can and then we immediately follow it up with an infinitive in case you don't

> **[on-screen 00:45:46]**
> To can in English: I can (infinitive)

**[00:45:47]** remember an infinitive is a verb that's

> **[on-screen 00:45:48]**
> Infinitive Verb placed after an already conjugated verb that doesn't change or slightly gets modified

**[00:45:49]** placed after an already conjugated verb that doesn't change or slightly gets modified in this case we can say a

> **[on-screen 00:45:53]**
> To can in English: | can speak Spanish

**[00:45:54]** sentence like I can't speak span Spanish which will use I can and then speak will

> **[on-screen 00:45:58]**
> To can in English: | can speak Spanish

**[00:45:58]** be the infinitive that's left untouched and then you can plug in any language

> **[on-screen 00:46:01]**
> To can in English: | can speak Spanish

**[00:46:02]** you want in the end and in this sentence alone I've used can three times we can say a sentence like I can speak Spanish

> **[on-screen 00:46:06]**
> To can in English: We can say a sentence like

> **[on-screen 00:46:07]**
> To can in English: We can say a sentence like | can speak Spanish

> **[on-screen 00:46:08]**
> To can in English: We can say a sentence like | can speak Spanish You can plug in any language

**[00:46:08]** and you can plug in any language in

> **[on-screen 00:46:09]**
> Poder in Spanish: | can speak Spanish

**[00:46:09]** Spanish I can speak Spanish would be y

> **[on-screen 00:46:12]**
> Poder in Spanish: | can speak Spanish Yo puedo hablar espanol

**[00:46:13]** ESP PUO is the correctly conjugated form

> **[on-screen 00:46:14]**
> Poder in Spanish: | can speak Spanish Yo puedo hablar espanol

**[00:46:15]** of of the yo pronoun a is the infinitive

> **[on-screen 00:46:17]**
> Poder in Spanish: | can speak Spanish Yo puedo hablar espanol

**[00:46:18]** that doesn't change form in espol is the

> **[on-screen 00:46:20]**
> Poder in Spanish: | can speak Spanish Yo puedo hablar espanol

**[00:46:20]** language at the end of course saying y ESP doesn't actually mean that you can speak because saying one phrase from memorization does not indicate that you've mastered the language in order for you to get better you can actually use the verb P to make many sentences that don't necessarily have to relate to languages if you want to say a sentence like you can learn English you will

> **[on-screen 00:46:37]**
> Uses of poder: You can learn English

> **[on-screen 00:46:38]**
> Uses of poder: You can learn English Tu puedes aprender inglés

**[00:46:39]** say if you want to say a sentence like

> **[on-screen 00:46:41]**
> Uses of poder: They can call by phone

**[00:46:42]** they can call by phone you will

> **[on-screen 00:46:44]**
> Uses of poder: They can call by phone Ellos pueden llamar por telefono

**[00:46:45]** say overall is probably one of the most

> **[on-screen 00:46:46]**
> Poder - to can/be able to: (Yo) puedo | (Nosotros) podemos (Td) puedes | (Vosotros) podéis (El) puede | (Ellos) pueden

**[00:46:48]** convenient and helpful verbs there is not only in Spanish and English but in other languages in general by understanding how to conjugate pod and knowing what phrases to use it with you'll be able to generate any phrase that you want almost instantly but this of course requires a bit more practice and examples that you can generate on your way the verb ear in Spanish means
