A cheerful squirrel stands on the peak of a large, smooth boulder, holding a small flag, signifying successful completion of an effort.

podido

po-DEE-doh

Past ParticipleA2irregular er

been able to?used after 'haber' (to have)

Quick Reference

infinitivepoder

gerundpudiendo

past Participlepodido

📝 In Action

No he podido terminar el informe.

I haven't been able to finish the report.

Lamento no haber podido asistir a la reunión.

I regret not having been able to attend the meeting.

Si hubiera podido, te habría llamado.

If I had been able to, I would have called you.

Nunca antes habíamos podido viajar juntos.

We had never been able to travel together before.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

haber podido hacer algo – to have been able to do something
no haber podido – to have not been able to

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Been Able To' Form

'Podido' is the special form of 'poder' (to be able to) that you use after the helper verb 'haber' (to have). Think of 'he podido' as 'I have been able to'.

Always Stays the Same

When used with 'haber', 'podido' never changes its ending, no matter who is doing the action. It's always 'he podido', 'has podido', 'han podido', etc.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using It Alone

Mistake: "Yo podido ir."

Correction: Yo he podido ir. 'Podido' almost always needs a helper verb like 'haber' (to have) before it. It can't function as the main verb by itself.

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing Regret or Relief

Use phrases like 'Qué bueno que he podido...' (It's great that I've been able to...) or 'Lamento no haber podido...' (I'm sorry I haven't been able to...) to express feelings about past abilities or inabilities.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: podido

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'podido'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

poder(to be able to; power) - verb, noun

poderoso(powerful) - adjective

potencia(power, strength) - noun

posible(possible) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'pude' and 'he podido'?

Great question! Both talk about the past. Use 'pude' for a specific, completed action: 'Ayer no pude ir' (Yesterday I couldn't go). Use 'he podido' for actions in a time frame that isn't finished yet or that still affect the present: 'Esta semana no he podido ir al gimnasio' (This week I haven't been able to go to the gym).

Can 'podido' be used as an adjective, like 'the chosen one'?

This is very rare in modern Spanish. While technically possible in some literary or old-fashioned contexts, you will almost never see or hear it used this way. It's best to think of 'podido' as the partner to the verb 'haber' to form tenses like the present perfect ('he podido').