The Spanish 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. New to Spanish verbs? Start with the Spanish verb guide.
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Lexi's Memory Hack
PODER is a boot verb: the O → UE inside the "boot" (puedo, puedes, puede, pueden). Think: "I PUEDO do it!" The nosotros/vosotros forms stay regular: podemos, podéis.
Poder + infinitive = "can/to be able to" (puedo hablar = I can speak). Preterite (pude) implies managed to do something.
How to Conjugate "poder" in the Present Tense
Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | puedo |
| tú | you (informal) | puedes |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | puede |
| nosotros | we | podemos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | podéis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | pueden |
Ella puede cantar muy bonito.
She can sing very beautifully.
How to Conjugate "poder" in the Past (completed) Tense
Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | pude |
| tú | you (informal) | pudiste |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | pudo |
| nosotros | we | pudimos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | pudisteis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | pudieron |
Ella pudo llegar a tiempo hoy.
She was able to arrive on time today.
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Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | podía |
| tú | you (informal) | podías |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | podía |
| nosotros | we | podíamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | podíais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | podían |
Ella podía cantar bien.
She could sing well.
How to Conjugate "poder" in the Future Tense
Futuro simple Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | podré |
| tú | you (informal) | podrás |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | podrá |
| nosotros | we | podremos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | podréis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | podrán |
Él podrá terminar el trabajo.
He will be able to finish the work.
How to Conjugate "poder" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condicional simple Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | podría |
| tú | you (informal) | podrías |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | podría |
| nosotros | we | podríamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | podríais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | podrían |
Él podría hablar inglés.
He would be able to speak English.
Frequently Asked Questions About "poder"
Is "poder" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Poder" is an irregular Spanish verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "poder" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "poder" means "to be able to" in English.
How do you conjugate "poder" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → puedo, tú → puedes, él/ella/usted → puede, nosotros → podemos, vosotros → podéis, ellos/ustedes → pueden.
How many tenses does "poder" have in Spanish?
"Poder" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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