Conjugate poder in the preterite tense in Spanish (El Pretérito Indefinido)

Written by qualified Spanish expert Silvia Piriz BA

Last updated: 2022-09-27

The verb poder (to be able to) is irregular in El Pretérito Indefinido because it has an irregular stem and its endings don't coincide exactly with those of the regular verbs.

Learn how to conjugate "poder" in El Pretérito Indefinido in Spanish

yo	pude
tú	pudiste
él/ella/Ud.	pudo
nosotros / nosotras	pudimos
vosotros / vosotras	pudisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.	pudieron

Notice that in the stem the -o- is replaced by -u-

Here are some examples to look at and listen to:

Yo pude ver la final de la Champions.I was able to see the Champions League final.

Tú pudiste llegar a tiempo.You were able to arrive on time.

Él pudo irse de vacaciones.He was able to go on holiday.

Usted pudo volar en primera clase.You were able to fly first class.

Ella pudo viajar a Estados Unidos.She was able to travel to the USA.

Nosotros pudimos escuchar la canción.We were able to listen to the song.

Vosotros pudisteis caminar a las montañas.You were able to walk to the mountains.

Ellas pudieron cumplir sus sueños.They were able to fulfill their dreams.

¿Ustedes pudieron reservar mesa en ese restaurante?Were you able to book a table in that restaurant?

Poder belongs to a group of verbs that all have an irregular stem but share the same set of endings. To learn more about this have a look at Irregulares en Indefinido/mismas terminaciones.

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