potere

to be able to

Italian Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "potere" in the Present Tense

Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
io I posso
tu you (informal) puoi
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) può
noi we possiamo
voi you all potete
loro they possono
Lui può aiutarmi.
He can help me.

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

Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past
Person English Conjugation
io I ho potuto
tu you (informal) hai potuto
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) ha potuto
noi we abbiamo potuto
voi you all avete potuto
loro they hanno potuto
Lui ha potuto finire tutto.
He was able to finish everything.

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

Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
io I potevo
tu you (informal) potevi
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) poteva
noi we potevamo
voi you all potevate
loro they potevano
Lui poteva parlare tre lingue.
He was able to speak three languages.

How to Conjugate "potere" in the Future Tense

Futuro semplice Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
io I potrò
tu you (informal) potrai
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) potrà
noi we potremo
voi you all potrete
loro they potranno
Lui potrà uscire presto.
He will be able to leave early.

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

Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
io I potrei
tu you (informal) potresti
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) potrebbe
noi we potremmo
voi you all potreste
loro they potrebbero
Lui potrebbe dormire qui.
He could sleep here.

Frequently Asked Questions About "potere"

Is "potere" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Potere" is an irregular Italian verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "potere" mean in English?
The Italian verb "potere" means "to be able to" in English.
How do you conjugate "potere" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → posso, tu → puoi, lui/lei → può, noi → possiamo, voi → potete, loro → possono.
How many tenses does "potere" have in Italian?
"Potere" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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