podido
“podido” means “been able to” in Spanish (used after 'haber' (to have)).
been able to
📝 In Action
No he podido terminar el informe.
A2I haven't been able to finish the report.
Lamento no haber podido asistir a la reunión.
B1I regret not having been able to attend the meeting.
Si hubiera podido, te habría llamado.
B2If I had been able to, I would have called you.
Nunca antes habíamos podido viajar juntos.
B1We had never been able to travel together before.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: podido
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'podido'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from 'poder', which traces back to the Latin word 'potēre', a variant of 'posse', meaning 'to be able'. 'Podido' is the past participle, a form developed to talk about completed actions.
First recorded: The verb 'poder' has been used since Old Spanish; 'podido' is its natural participle form.
Cognates (Related words)
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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').