Inklingo
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A small, determined character successfully lifting a massive, heavy wooden box high above their head, showing triumph and achieved ability.

pudo

/POO-doh/

VerbA2irregular er
was/were able to?successfully completed an action,managed to?succeeded in doing something
Also:could?referring to a single, completed past event,he/she/it could?explicitly stating the subject,you (formal) could?referring to 'usted'

Quick Reference

infinitivepoder
gerundpudiendo
past Participlepodido

📝 In Action

Ella pudo levantar la caja pesada.

A2

She was able to lift the heavy box.

Juan no pudo venir a la fiesta.

A2

Juan couldn't come to the party.

Después de mucho intentarlo, el equipo pudo ganar el partido.

B1

After trying a lot, the team managed to win the game.

¿Usted pudo hablar con el gerente?

A2

Were you (formal) able to speak with the manager?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • logró (he/she managed to)
  • consiguió (he/she succeeded in)

Antonyms

  • fracasó (he/she failed)

Common Collocations

  • no pudo ser – it couldn't be / it wasn't meant to be
  • pudo hacerlo – he/she was able to do it
  • pudo ver – he/she was able to see

Idioms & Expressions

  • no pudo más – He/she couldn't take it anymore.

💡 Grammar Points

Pudo vs. Podía: A Finished Action

Pudo is for an ability that led to a finished action at a specific time. Think 'managed to' or 'succeeded in'. Podía describes a general ability in the past, without saying if anything happened. 'Él pudo correr' means he managed to run (and did). 'Él podía correr' means he used to have the ability to run.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using for Polite Requests

Mistake: "To ask 'Could you help me?', some learners say: '¿Pudo ayudarme?'."

Correction: This is incorrect. For polite requests, use the conditional form: `¿Podría ayudarme?`. `Pudo` is only for talking about things that did or didn't happen in the past.

⭐ Usage Tips

Focus on the Outcome

Use pudo when the outcome is important. It tells the listener whether someone succeeded or failed at a specific task. 'No pudo abrir la puerta' tells us the door remained closed.

🔄 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: pudo

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses `pudo` to describe a single, completed action in the past?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

poder(to be able to; can) - verb
poder(power) - noun
poderoso(powerful) - adjective
pudiente(wealthy, powerful) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the main difference between `pudo` and `podía`?

`Pudo` means someone 'was able to' and *did* something on a specific occasion. It implies a completed event. `Podía` describes a general ability or possibility in the past, without saying if the action actually happened. For example, 'Ella pudo abrir la puerta' (She managed to open the door) vs. 'Ella podía abrir la puerta' (She had the ability to open the door).

Is `pudo` only for 'he' and 'she'?

No, it's also for 'usted', the formal way of saying 'you'. So, 'Usted pudo terminar el trabajo' means 'You (formal) were able to finish the work'.