pouvoir

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

  • regular -re verbs

    French verbs that end in “re” also follow a regular pattern for their conjugation in the present tense and the passé composé. A good example is the verb “vendre,” which means “to sell.” Regular -re verb endings Person Ending je -s tu -s il/elle/on (no ending, just the stem) nous -ons vous -ez ils/elles -ent…

  • passé récent + imparfait

    The construction venir de + infinitive expresses an action that has just happened. When venir is in the imperfect, the speaker places this recent action in a past narrative frame, often to set background context or to describe what was true at a specific moment in the past. Grammatical structure: Core meaning Je venais d’acheter…

  • parer

    The French verb “parer” means “to ward off,” “to parry,” or “to fend off.” It can also mean “to protect,” “to attribute” or “to adorn.” So many meanings for one verb!

  • to raise

    The English verb “to raise” can mean many different things depending on the context. In French, several verbs are used, including “élever,” “lever,” “augmenter,” “soulever,” and “susciter.” Élever “Élever” is most often used when speaking of raising children or animals. It can also be used for raising plants or even abstract things like the level…

One Comment

Comments are closed.