pouvoir

ByFast French

The French verb “pouvoir” means “to be able to” or “can” in English. It is an irregular verb that is commonly used in everyday communication. Here is its conjugation in the present tense:

  • Je peux (I can)
  • Tu peux (You can)
  • Il/Elle/On peut (He/She/One can)
  • Nous pouvons (We can)
  • Vous pouvez (You can)
  • Ils/Elles peuvent (They can)

“Pouvoir” is used to express ability, permission, or possibility in various contexts. Its conjugations may change depending on the subject pronoun and the tense of the sentence. It is an essential verb to know for anyone learning French as it is frequently used in both written and spoken language.

Examples:

  1. Je peux nager. (I can swim.)
  2. Tu peux venir avec moi. (You can come with me.)
  3. Il peut parler trois langues. (He can speak three languages.)
  4. Elle peut partir maintenant. (She can leave now.)
  5. On peut manger dehors s’il fait beau. (We can eat outside if the weather is nice.)
  6. Nous pouvons aider nos voisins. (We can help our neighbors.)
  7. Vous pouvez poser des questions. (You can ask questions.)
  8. Ils peuvent venir demain soir. (They can come tomorrow evening.)
  9. Elles peuvent étudier ensemble. (They can study together.)
  10. Les enfants peuvent jouer dans le jardin. (The children can play in the garden.)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • que + subjunctive or indicative

    ByFast French

    Many French expressions ending in que are followed by the subjunctive. These include expressions of condition, purpose, doubt, necessity, emotion, concession and events that have not yet happened. Other expressions ending in que take the indicative instead. The word que itself does not determine the mood. Expressions that take the subjunctive Here is an alphabetised…

  • Possessive pronouns

    ByFast French

    Possessive pronouns replace nouns and show ownership or possession. They agree in gender and number with the nouns they replace. In English, they are “mine,” “yours,” “his,” “hers,” “ours,” and “theirs.” Here’s a comprehensive table listing the French possessive pronouns: Possessor Singular Plural 1st person le mien (mine) les miens (mine) la mienne (mine) les…

  • prévenir

    ByFast French

    The French verb “prévenir” means “to prevent” or “to warn.” It also means “to let [someone] know,” “to avert,” “to advise,” “to inform,” “to guard against,” “to notify” and “to forewarn.” Examples Etymology The word “prévenir” comes from the Latin verb “praeventire,” composed of “prae” (before) and “eventire” (to come).

  • negative infinitive

    ByFast French

    The negative infinitive is the infinitive form of a verb with a negative meaning. In French, it uses two negative words placed before the infinitive, rather than around a conjugated verb as in standard negation. It functions as a direct negative instruction or command without being a true imperative form. Construction The basic pattern places…

  • -ate verbs become -er

    ByFast French

    Many English verbs ending in -ate have close French matches ending in -er. This is one of the most useful links between English and French verbs. In many cases the words come from the same Latin root, but French usually kept a simpler verb ending while English later developed -ate forms. Examples such as operate…

  • soit…soit

    ByFast French

    In the French language, there’s a handy construction called “soit…soit.” This structure is used to present alternatives or choices. It’s a bit like saying “either…or” in English. Let’s delve into how it works and how you can use it effectively. The word “soit” means “either” or “whether” in English. When repeated, it emphasizes the choice…

One Comment

  1. Pingback: Everything you need to know about the French noun "le pouvoir"

Comments are closed.