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FRENCH VERB

pouvoir

can, to be able to

  • #5 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Past participle: pu
  • Present participle: pouvant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I can
  2. tu you can
  3. il, elle, on he/she can
  4. nous we can
  5. vous you can
  6. ils, elles they can

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I could
  2. tu you could
  3. il, elle, on he/she could
  4. nous we could
  5. vous you could
  6. ils, elles they could

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I could
  2. tu you could
  3. il, elle, on he/she could
  4. nous we could
  5. vous you could
  6. ils, elles they could

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will be able to
  2. tu you will be able to
  3. il, elle, on he/she will be able to
  4. nous we will be able to
  5. vous you will be able to
  6. ils, elles they will be able to

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I can
  2. tu you can
  3. il, elle, on he/she can
  4. nous we can
  5. vous you can
  6. ils, elles they can

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I can
  2. tu (that) you can
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she can
  4. nous (that) we can
  5. vous (that) you can
  6. ils, elles (that) they can

How to use pouvoir

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Je peux payer par carte ?

    Can I pay by card?

  2. Past

    Je n'ai pas pu venir, désolée.

    I couldn't come, sorry.

  3. Imperfect

    On ne pouvait rien voir avec le brouillard.

    We couldn't see anything in the fog.

  4. Future

    Tu pourras m'aider à déménager samedi ?

    Will you be able to help me move on Saturday?

  5. Conditional

    Vous pourriez parler un peu moins vite ?

    Could you speak a little more slowly?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne crois pas qu'elle puisse venir ce soir.

    I don't think she can come tonight.

Good to know

  • Pouvoir has no imperative : vous pouvez… ? or pourriez-vous… ? is how you ask for something.

Where you hear pouvoir

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 1

  • Je peux venir dimanche. I can come on Sunday.
  • Je n'ai pas pu venir samedi. I couldn't come on Saturday.
  • Demain, tu vas pouvoir nager. Tomorrow you're going to be able to swim.

French · Beginner Level 2

  • Je peux t'aider ? Can I help you?
  • Je n'ai pas pu venir. I couldn't come.
  • Tu vas pouvoir venir ? Are you going to be able to come?
21
Plans for the Weekend

Beginner Level 1 · tu peux · je peux · je ne peux pas · vous pouvez

Needs a subscription 28
One Day...

Beginner Level 2 · si je pouvais · on pourrait · tu pourrais

Needs a subscription 25
The First Argument

Beginner Level 3 · tu aurais pu

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ir verb.