pouvoir

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French

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French povoir, from Old French povoir, pooir, from earlier Old French poeir, podeir, from Vulgar Latin potēre, regularization of Latin posse. The /-v-/ was eventually added, after the loss of the intervocalic dental, to break hiatus. The archaic 1SG present indicative puis is from a Vulgar Latin *posseō (rather than possō), for which cf. Old Catalan puix.

Pronunciation

Verb

pouvoir

  1. (auxiliary) can, to be able to
    Je peux venir ce soir. ― I can come this evening.
    • 2018, Zaz (lyrics and music), “Nos Vies”:
      On est des étoiles dans ce ciel bleu clair et on mettra les voiles quand on pourra le faire.
      We are stars in that clear blue sky, and we will set sail when we can.
  2. (auxiliary) may (of a choice)
    Tu peux rentrer chez toi si tu veux. ― You may go home if you want.
  3. (impersonal, reflexive, or not) to be possible; may, could be
    Il se peut que je sois malade.
    I may be ill. / I could be ill.
    (literally, “It could be that I'm ill”)
    Il peut pleuvoir d’une minute à l’autre.
    It can rain any time now.
  4. to have the right (to)
    Est-ce-que je peux sortir ?
    Can I leave ?
  5. to have the power, the authority or the talent (to do something)
    Je ne peux rien pour vous.
    You're finished. / You can't be cured (or helped).
    (literally, “I can nothing for you.”)

Usage notes

  • Regarding the use of pouvoir and savoir, three sub-senses must be distinguished:
    • Savoir is used for “know how to do something, have learnt something”.
      Je sais nager. ― I can swim. / I know how to swim. / I've learnt to swim.
    • Pouvoir is generally used for “be currently capable of doing something”, but Belgian French uses savoir.
      Je ne peux pas dormir. (France) / Je ne sais pas dormir. (Belgium) ― I can't sleep. / I'm not currently able to fall asleep.
    • Pouvoir is always used for “be free, allowed, unhindered to do something”.
      Je ne peux pas sortir. ― I can't go out. / I'm not allowed to go out. / Something prevents me from going out.
  • Puis (/pɥi/) is an archaic form of the first person present indicative peux. It is still used in inversion or with the conjunction si:
    Puis-je vous aider? ― May I help you?
    Si je puis me permettre… ― If you don't mind…

Conjugation

Conjugation of pouvoir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple pouvoir
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple pouvant
/pu.vɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle pu
/py/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present peux
/pø/2 		peux
/pø/ 		peut
/pø/ 		pouvons
/pu.vɔ̃/ 		pouvez
/pu.ve/ 		peuvent
/pœv/
imperfect pouvais
/pu.vɛ/ 		pouvais
/pu.vɛ/ 		pouvait
/pu.vɛ/ 		pouvions
/pu.vjɔ̃/ 		pouviez
/pu.vje/ 		pouvaient
/pu.vɛ/
past historic4 pus
/py/ 		pus
/py/ 		put
/py/ 		pûmes
/pym/ 		pûtes
/pyt/ 		purent
/pyʁ/
future pourrai
/pu.ʁe/ 		pourras
/pu.ʁa/ 		pourra
/pu.ʁa/ 		pourrons
/pu.ʁɔ̃/ 		pourrez
/pu.ʁe/ 		pourront
/pu.ʁɔ̃/
conditional pourrais
/pu.ʁɛ/ 		pourrais
/pu.ʁɛ/ 		pourrait
/pu.ʁɛ/ 		pourrions
/pu.ʁjɔ̃/ 		pourriez
/pu.ʁje/ 		pourraient
/pu.ʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior4 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present puisse
/pɥis/3 		puisses
/pɥis/ 		puisse
/pɥis/ 		puissions
/pɥi.sjɔ̃/ 		puissiez
/pɥi.sje/ 		puissent
/pɥis/
imperfect4 pusse
/pys/ 		pusses
/pys/ 		pût
/py/ 		pussions
/py.sjɔ̃/ 		pussiez
/py.sje/ 		pussent
/pys/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect4 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — — — — — —
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 puis when inverted.
3 puissé when inverted.
4 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris , Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

This verb is impersonal and is conjugated only in the third-person singular.

Conjugation of se pouvoir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple se pouvoir
compound s'être + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple se pouvant
/sə pu.vɑ̃/
compound ayant or étant + past participle
past participle pu
/py/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present —2 — se peut
/sə pø/ 		— — —
imperfect — — se pouvait
/sə pu.vɛ/ 		— — —
past historic4 — — se put
/sə py/ 		— — —
future — — se pourra
/sə pu.ʁa/ 		— — —
conditional — — se pourrait
/sə pu.ʁɛ/ 		— — —
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of s'être + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of s'être + past participle
past anterior4 past historic of s'être + past participle
future perfect future of s'être + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of s'être + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present —3 — se puisse
/sə pɥis/ 		— — —
imperfect4 — — se pût
/sə py/ 		— — —
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of s'être + past participle
pluperfect4 imperfect subjunctive of s'être + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — — — — — —
compound — simple imperative of s'être + past participle — simple imperative of s'être + past participle simple imperative of s'être + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 puis when inverted.
3 puissé when inverted.
4 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris , Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms

Noun

pouvoir m (plural pouvoirs)

  1. (countable or uncountable) power
    prendre le pouvoir ― to take power, to seize power
  2. authority
  3. (law) power of attorney

Derived terms

References

Wikious
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