pouvoir

to be able to

French Irregular

The French verb "pouvoir" means "to be able to" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "pouvoir" across all 5 tenses.

How to Conjugate "pouvoir" in the Present Tense

Présent de l'indicatif Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
je I peux
tu you (informal) peux
il/elle/on he/she/one peut
nous we pouvons
vous you (formal/plural) pouvez
ils/elles they peuvent
Il peut conduire cette voiture.
He can drive this car.

How to Conjugate "pouvoir" in the Past (completed) Tense

Passé composé Actions completed in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I ai pu
tu you (informal) as pu
il/elle/on he/she/one a pu
nous we avons pu
vous you (formal/plural) avez pu
ils/elles they ont pu
Il a pu finir tout.
He was able to finish everything.

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How to Conjugate "pouvoir" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Imparfait Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I pouvais
tu you (informal) pouvais
il/elle/on he/she/one pouvait
nous we pouvions
vous you (formal/plural) pouviez
ils/elles they pouvaient
Il pouvait courir très vite.
He could run very fast.

How to Conjugate "pouvoir" in the Future Tense

Futur simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
je I pourrai
tu you (informal) pourras
il/elle/on he/she/one pourra
nous we pourrons
vous you (formal/plural) pourrez
ils/elles they pourront
Elle pourra venir avec nous.
She will be able to come with us.

How to Conjugate "pouvoir" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Conditionnel présent Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
je I pourrais
tu you (informal) pourrais
il/elle/on he/she/one pourrait
nous we pourrions
vous you (formal/plural) pourriez
ils/elles they pourraient
Il pourrait manger une pomme.
He could eat an apple.

Frequently Asked Questions About "pouvoir"

Is "pouvoir" regular or irregular in French?
"Pouvoir" is an irregular French verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "pouvoir" mean in English?
The French verb "pouvoir" means "to be able to" in English.
How do you conjugate "pouvoir" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Présent de l'indicatif): je → peux, tu → peux, il/elle/on → peut, nous → pouvons, vous → pouvez, ils/elles → peuvent.
How many tenses does "pouvoir" have in French?
"Pouvoir" is conjugated across 5 tenses in French: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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