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12. The Verb "Poder"

Source: A Complete Guide To Every Fundamental In Spanish

Poder means "to be able to" / "can." It's a stem-changing verb (o → ue) and one of the most useful verbs in Spanish because it pairs with any infinitive to express possibility.

Key Rules

  • poder is a stem-changing verb: o → ue in the singular and 3rd-person plural forms (the "boot").
  • The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the original o (podemos, podéis).
  • Endings still follow the regular -er pattern.
  • Use poder + infinitive to express ability or possibility: Yo puedo hablar español.

Conjugation: poder (present indicative)

Pronoun Form
yo puedo
puedes
él / ella / usted puede
nosotros podemos
vosotros podéis
ellos / ellas / ustedes pueden

The "boot" pattern: puedo / puedes / puede / pueden change the stem; podemos / podéis stay regular.

Examples

Spanish English
Yo puedo hablar español. I can speak Spanish.
Tú puedes aprender inglés. You can learn English.
Él puede ayudar. He can help.
Nosotros podemos ir. We can go.
Ellos pueden llamar por teléfono. They can call by phone.
¿Puedes ayudarme? Can you help me?
No puedo dormir. I can't sleep.

Notes & Gotchas

  • The stem change applies only in the "boot" forms — never in nosotros/vosotros.
  • Always follow poder with an infinitive (unchanged verb): puedo hablar, not puedo hablo.
  • poder doesn't take a preposition before the infinitive (no a, no que).
  • Other common stem-changing verbs follow the same boot pattern (e.g., dormir o → ue, querer e → ie).