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puedes

PWEH-dessˈpwe.ðes

“puedes” means “you can” in Spanish (ability or permission).

you can

Also: you are able to, you may
VerbA1Irregular (stem-changing) er
A person confidently reaching for a book on a high shelf, demonstrating their ability.
infinitivepoder
gerundpudiendo
past Participlepodido

📝 In Action

Tú puedes hablar español muy bien.

A1

You can speak Spanish very well.

¿Puedes ayudarme con esto, por favor?

A1

Can you help me with this, please?

Si terminas tu tarea, puedes jugar videojuegos.

A2

If you finish your homework, you can play video games.

Puedes encontrar de todo en ese mercado.

B1

You can find everything in that market.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • ser capaz de (to be capable of)

Antonyms

  • no puedes (you can't)

Common Collocations

  • ¿Puedes...? – Can you...?
  • Puedes contar conmigo. – You can count on me.

Indicative

Present

yopuedo
túpuedes
él/ella/ustedpuede
nosotrospodemos
vosotrospodéis
ellos/ellas/ustedespueden

Imperfect

yopodía
túpodías
él/ella/ustedpodía
nosotrospodíamos
vosotrospodíais
ellos/ellas/ustedespodían

Preterite

yopude
túpudiste
él/ella/ustedpudo
nosotrospudimos
vosotrospudisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedespudieron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yopueda
túpuedas
él/ella/ustedpueda
nosotrospodamos
vosotrospodáis
ellos/ellas/ustedespuedan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yopudiera
túpudieras
él/ella/ustedpudiera
nosotrospudiéramos
vosotrospudierais
ellos/ellas/ustedespudieran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "puedes" in Spanish:

you can→you may→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: puedes

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence is the most natural way to ask a friend for a small favor?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
muerdesverdes
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'posse,' which meant 'to be able.' It's a combination of 'potis' (able) and 'esse' (to be). So, it literally means 'to be able.'

First recorded: Evolved from Vulgar Latin over 1000 years ago.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: podesFrench: peuxItalian: puoi

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'puedes' and 'sabes'? They both seem to mean 'you can'.

Great question! Use 'puedes' for general ability or permission ('Puedes correr' - You can run). Use 'sabes' for knowing *how* to do a learned skill ('Sabes nadar' - You know how to swim). You wouldn't say 'sabes correr' because running isn't usually a skill you learn in the same way.