A happy character, standing in a kitchen, holding a glass jar with the lid successfully loosened and slightly ajar, symbolizing achievement.

pude

/POO-deh/

VerbA2irregular er

I was able to?successfully completed an action,I could?had the ability and succeeded,I managed to?succeeded despite difficulty

Also:I couldn't / I failed to?used in negative sentences (no pude)

Quick Reference

infinitivepoder

gerundpudiendo

past Participlepodido

📝 In Action

Finalmente pude abrir el frasco.

I was finally able to open the jar.

No pude llamarte porque mi teléfono no tenía batería.

I couldn't call you because my phone had no battery.

Después de tres intentos, pude resolver el problema.

After three tries, I managed to solve the problem.

Gracias a tu ayuda, pude terminar a tiempo.

Thanks to your help, I was able to finish on time.

Word Connections

Synonyms

logré (I achieved / I managed)
conseguí (I got / I succeeded in)

Common Collocations

no pude evitarlo – I couldn't help it
pude ver – I was able to see / I could see
no pude más – I couldn't take it anymore

💡 Grammar Points

Pude vs. Podía: Action vs. Situation

Use 'pude' for a specific, completed action in the past ('I managed to open the jar'). Use 'podía' to describe an ongoing ability or situation ('When I was young, I could run fast'). 'Pude' is like a snapshot; 'podía' is like a video.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Pude' for General Past Abilities

Mistake: "Cuando era niño, pude nadar muy bien."

Correction: For ongoing abilities in the past, use 'podía': 'Cuando era niño, podía nadar muy bien.' Use 'pude' for one-time achievements: 'Ayer, por fin pude nadar hasta la isla.'

⭐ Usage Tips

Showing Success

'Pude' doesn't just mean 'I had the ability'—it strongly implies 'I succeeded.' Saying 'Pude levantar la caja' means 'I was able to (and did) lift the box.'

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

yopuedo

túpuedes

él/ella/ustedpuede

nosotrospodemos

vosotrospodéis

ellos/ellas/ustedespueden

preterite

yopude

túpudiste

él/ella/ustedpudo

nosotrospudimos

vosotrospudisteis

ellos/ellas/ustedespudieron

imperfect

yopodía

túpodías

él/ella/ustedpodía

nosotrospodíamos

vosotrospodíais

ellos/ellas/ustedespodían

subjunctive

present

yopueda

túpuedas

él/ella/ustedpueda

nosotrospodamos

vosotrospodáis

ellos/ellas/ustedespuedan

imperfect

yopudiera

túpudieras

él/ella/ustedpudiera

nosotrospudiéramos

vosotrospudierais

ellos/ellas/ustedespudieran

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pude

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'pude' to talk about a specific, completed action?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

poder(to be able) - verb

el poder(power) - noun

poderoso(powerful) - adjective

posible(possible) - adjective

posibilidad(possibility) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'pude' and 'podía'?

'Pude' is for a specific, completed action (I managed to do it). 'Podía' is for a general ability or an ongoing situation in the past (I used to be able to do it). Think of 'pude' as 'I succeeded' and 'podía' as 'I had the ability'.

How do I say 'I couldn't'?

You just add 'no' before it: 'no pude'. For example, 'No pude ir a la fiesta' means 'I couldn't go to the party'.