potere

Italian

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *potēre, from Latin posse, with the infinitive remodeled according to Classical conjugations such as potēs (“you can”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /poˈte.re/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ere
• Hyphenation: po‧té‧re

Verb

potére (first-person singular present pòsso, first-person singular past historic potéi or (less common) potétti or (ditto, traditional) potètti, past participle potùto, first-person singular future potrò, no imperative, auxiliary avére or (as an auxiliary, with main verbs taking essere) èssere)

1. (transitive, intransitive) can, could; to be able to
2. (transitive, intransitive) may, might; to be possible to

Usage notes

This verb is omitted when translating verbs relating to the senses:

Lei lo può fare. (uses potere) ― She is able to do it.

Sa nuotare. (uses sapere) ― She is able to swim.

Lo vedo. (omitted) ― I can see it.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of potére (-ere; irregular; defective) (See Appendix:Italian verbs)

infinitive	potére
auxiliary verb		avére, èssere1	gerund		potèndo
present participle		potènte	past participle		potùto
person	singular			plural
	first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	io	tu	lui/lei, esso/essa	noi	voi	loro, essi/esse
present	pòsso	puòi	può2	possiàmo	potéte	pòssono
imperfect	potévo	potévi	potéva	potevàmo	potevàte	potévano
past historic	potéi, potétti3, potètti3,4	potésti	poté, potétte3, potètte3,4	potémmo	potéste	potérono, potéttero3, potèttero3,4
future	potrò	potrài	potrà	potrémo	potréte	potrànno
conditional	io	tu	lui/lei, esso/essa	noi	voi	loro, essi/esse
present	potrèi	potrésti	potrèbbe, potrébbe	potrémmo	potréste	potrèbbero, potrébbero
subjunctive	che io	che tu	che lui/che lei, che esso/che essa	che noi	che voi	che loro, che essi/che esse
present	pòssa	pòssa	pòssa	possiàmo	possiàte	pòssano
imperfect	potéssi	potéssi	potésse	potéssimo	potéste	potéssero
imperative	—	tu	Lei	noi	voi	Loro
		—	—	—	—	—
negative imperative		—	—	—	—	—

¹As an auxiliary, with main verbs taking essere.
²With syntactic gemination after the verb.
³Less common.
⁴Traditional.

See also

• sapere
• riuscire (a)

Noun

potere m (plural poteri)

1. power

Derived terms

• podere
• potersi

Related terms

• potentato
• potente
• potenza
• potestà

Anagrams

• pereto, tepore

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /poːˈteː.re/, [poːˈt̪eːrɛ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /poˈte.re/, [poˈt̪ɛːre]

Verb

pōtēre

1. second-person singular present passive subjunctive of pōtō