poder

to be able to

Portuguese Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "poder" in the Present Tense

Presente do indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
eu I posso
tu you (informal) podes
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) pode
nós we podemos
vós you all (formal) podeis
eles/elas/vocês they/you all podem
Você pode abrir a porta?
Can you open the door?

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

Pretérito perfeito simples Actions completed in the past
Person English Conjugation
eu I pude
tu you (informal) pudeste
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) pôde
nós we pudemos
vós you all (formal) pudestes
eles/elas/vocês they/you all puderam
Ele pôde terminar o projeto.
He was able to finish the project.

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

Pretérito imperfeito Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
eu I podia
tu you (informal) podias
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) podia
nós we podíamos
vós you all (formal) podíeis
eles/elas/vocês they/you all podiam
Você podia falar mais devagar.
You could speak more slowly.

How to Conjugate "poder" in the Future Tense

Futuro do presente Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
eu I poderei
tu you (informal) poderás
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) poderá
nós we poderemos
vós you all (formal) podereis
eles/elas/vocês they/you all poderão
Ele poderá vir à reunião.
He will be able to come to the meeting.

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

Condicional Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
eu I poderia
tu you (informal) poderias
ele/ela/você he/she/you (formal) poderia
nós we poderíamos
vós you all (formal) poderíeis
eles/elas/vocês they/you all poderiam
Ela poderia vir connosco.
She could come with us.

Frequently Asked Questions About "poder"

Is "poder" regular or irregular in Portuguese?
"Poder" is an irregular Portuguese verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "poder" mean in English?
The Portuguese verb "poder" means "to be able to" in English.
How do you conjugate "poder" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente do indicativo): eu → posso, tu → podes, ele/ela/você → pode, nós → podemos, vós → podeis, eles/elas/vocês → podem.
How many tenses does "poder" have in Portuguese?
"Poder" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Portuguese: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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