How to Use the Verb pouvoir (can)

“Pouvoir” is a powerful verb. Once you know it, you can easily ask people to do something, and express what you can do.
Here is how to conjugate and use “pouvoir”.

Contents
1 Conjugation of avoir (to have)
1.1 Present
1.2 Future
1.3 Imperfect
1.4 Subjunctive
1.5 Conditional
1.6 Passé composé
1.7 present participle
2 How to ask a question using the verb pouvoir
3 How to use pouvoir to create sentences
4 French expressions and idioms using the verb pouvoir (can)
4.1 J’en peux plus
4.2 Je n’y peux rien
5 Over to you

Conjugation of avoir (to have)

I voluntarily chose not to include tenses like “passé simple”, because unless you are interested in French literature, you won’t need it.
In fact, in my university, teachers often advise us to avoid using it, because very few French students know how to use “passé simple” properly.
You won’t find the “impératif” conjugation either, because it doesn’t exist for the verb “pouvoir”.

Present Future Imperfect

Je peux pourrai pouvais

Tu peux pourras pouvais

Il/elle/on peut pourra pouvait

Nous pouvons pourrons pouvions

Vous pouvez pourrez pouviez

Ils peuvent pourront pouvaient

Subjunctive Conditional Passé composé

Je puisse pourrais ai pu

Tu puisses pourrais as pu

Il/elle/on puisse pourrait a pu

Nous puissions pourrions avons pu

Vous puissiez pourriez avez pu

Ils puissent pourraient ont pu

present participle

pouvant

How to ask a question using the verb pouvoir

You have three ways to ask a question using the verb “pouvoir”:

1 Est-ce que vous pouvez venir s’il vous plaît ?

2 Pouvez-vous venir s’il vous plaît ?
3 Vous pouvez venir s’il vous plaît ?

These three sentences all have the same meaning, “can you come please?”. But they are used in different situations.

You use the first and second sentences in formal conversations. The third sentence is a bit more informal. But since it’s used with “vous” (the
formal you), it remains polite. If you are not sure which construction to use, use the first construction, you can not go wrong with it.

If you talk to a friend or someone you know well, you can use “tu” instead of “vous”. This means you need to conjugate “pouvoir” accordingly.

1 Est-ce que tu peux venir s’il te plaît ?

2 Peux-tu venir s’il te plaît ?
3 tu peux venir s’il te plaît ?
You can notice that I also use “s’il te plaît” (the casual please) instead of “s’il vous plaît” (formal please).
In all cases, all you need to do to ask “can you…” is to choose one of these constructions, and use the verb of your choice instead of “venir” (to
come).

Tu peux partir s’il te plaît ?

Can you leave please?

Est-ce que vous pouvez fermer la porte s’il vous plaît ?

Can you close the door please?

How to use pouvoir to create sentences

Pouvoir is an amazing verb.
Once you know how to use it, you can easily create hundreds of sentences.
All you have to do is use the following construction:

Pronoun + pouvoir conjugated + infinitive verb

Je peux manger/I can eat

Tu peux dancer/you can dance
Il peut chanter/he can sing

Do you understand how it works now? Create your own sentence and post it in the comment section below this article.

French expressions and idioms using the verb pouvoir (can)

J’en peux plus

Literally: I can’t more
Meaning: I can’t stand it anymore/ I can’t do it anymore

You use “j’en peux plus” to say you can’t stand a situation anymore, or you are exhausted. You can only use this expression in an informal
setting.

Mon patron me rend fou, j’en peux plus.

My boss drives me crazy, I can’t take it anymore.

Je suis trop fatigué, j’en peux plus.

I am too tired, I can’t continue.

In this sentence, what you can’t do anymore isn’t clearly expressed, so it depends on the context. It could be for example that you have been
working all day, and are exhausted, so you say “j’en peux plus” to say you need to take a break.

Je n’y peux rien

Literally: I can’t nothing about it
Meaning: there is nothing I can do about it/it’s not my fault

You use this expression to say you are not responsible for something, or there is nothing you can do.

Je n’y peux rien si il pleut.

It’s not my fault if it’s raining/there is nothing I can do about the rain.