potere
to be able to; can
verb poh-TEH-reh Common
Origin: Latin potere, from posse (to be able)
Also means
may (permission)
Usage Note
Potere is a modal verb and is always followed by an infinitive — posso venire (I can come). As a modal, it borrows its auxiliary from the following verb: sono potuto venire (I was able to come, motion verb). The present-tense forms are irregular: posso, puoi, può, possiamo, potete, possono. It can express both ability and permission.
Examples
"Puoi aprire la finestra?"
Natural Translation
Can you open the window?
Related Words
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