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poˈtere

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Translation

to be able to, can, may

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Word origin

From Latin posse ('to be able'), reshaped in Vulgar Latin as potere.

Origin
Latin
Root
posse
English cognates
potent, possible

Grammar

Verb type-ere irregular, perfect with avere (essere when the verb after it takes essere: non sono potuto venire)

Irregular verb. A full conjugation table for irregular verbs is coming soon. For now, use a reference like Wordreference or RAE.

Examples

?

May I come in?

.

I cannot come this evening.

?

Could you help me with this suitcase?

Where this fits

The 1,000 most common Italian words

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Used in

Stories

(13)

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Italian · Free printables

potere: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Italian word "potere" (to be able to, can, may): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

This word is taught in chapter 1, lesson 10: potere, chi, stare and 11 more words.