How to say “can, to be able to” in Spanish
“Can, to be able to” in Spanish is poder (poh-DEHR).
- Spanish
- poder
- Say it
- poh-DEHR
- Present tense
- puedo · puedes · puede (yo · tú · él / ella)
- Conjugation
- See all five tenses and practise
One of 77 verbs in Common Spanish Verbs: learn them step by step and practise them all.
The most common Spanish verbs
The other words in step 1 of Common Spanish Verbs.
- serto be (what something is) · SEHR
- estarto be (how or where) · ehs-TAR
- tenerto have · teh-NEHR
- haberto have (helper verb) · ah-BEHR
- hacerto do, to make · ah-SEHR
- irto go · EER
- decirto say · deh-SEER
- quererto want · keh-REHR
- saberto know (facts) · sah-BEHR
- conocerto know (people, places) · koh-noh-SEHR
- darto give · DAR
- verto see · BEHR
- venirto come · beh-NEER
- ponerto put · poh-NEHR
Questions about poder
How do you say “can, to be able to” in Spanish?
“Can, to be able to” in Spanish is poder.
How do you pronounce poder?
Say it poh-DEHR. The syllable in capitals is stressed: DEHR. This guide follows Latin American Spanish.
How do you conjugate poder in the present tense?
For yo, tú and él / ella: puedo, puedes, puede.
What does poder mean in English?
In English, poder means “can, to be able to”.
Keep learning Spanish
Common Spanish Verbs
77 everyday verbs from ser and estar to buscar and encontrar, with the present tense and practice for every verb.
Common Spanish Adjectives
72 everyday adjectives for people, feelings and things, how they change, and practice that tracks every word.
Common Spanish Adverbs
55 everyday adverbs for time, frequency, place, amount and manner, with practice for every word.
Spanish words A–Z
Every word with its own page: how to say it, hear it and practise it.
Updated · Pronunciation guides use Latin American Spanish.