potere present tense conjugation
Potere (to be able to/can) in the present tense: posso, puoi, può, possiamo, potete, possono.
Presente Present
| io | regular: poto |
|---|---|
| tu | regular: poti |
| lui/lei | regular: pote |
| noi | regular: potiamo |
| voi | |
| loro | regular: potono |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the present tense
The presente covers “I do” and “I am doing”, habits and, very often, the near future.
How it is formed
Regular endings: -are → o, i, a, iamo, ate, ano; -ere → o, i, e, iamo, ete, ono; -ire → o, i, e, iamo, ite, ono (many -ire verbs insert -isc-: finisco).
Potere is irregular here. 5 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give poto, poti, pote, potiamo, potono.
Potere in a sentence
- Posso aiutarti?Can I help you?
- Non ho potuto venire ieri.I couldn't come yesterday.
Modal verb, irregular; in compound tenses takes the auxiliary of the following infinitive.
FAQ
What is the present tense of potere?
Potere in the Italian present tense: io posso, tu puoi, lui/lei può, noi possiamo, voi potete, loro possono.
Is potere irregular in the present tense?
Yes. 5 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: io posso (regular would be poto); tu puoi (regular would be poti); lui/lei può (regular would be pote); noi possiamo (regular would be potiamo); loro possono (regular would be potono).
When do you use the Italian present tense?
The presente covers “I do” and “I am doing”, habits and, very often, the near future.
How is the present tense formed?
Regular endings: -are → o, i, a, iamo, ate, ano; -ere → o, i, e, iamo, ete, ono; -ire → o, i, e, iamo, ite, ono (many -ire verbs insert -isc-: finisco).
Full potere conjugation, all tenses →
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