can; to be able to
ability or possibility
Pot să vin mâine.
I can come tomorrow.
Nu pot merge acum.
I can't go now.
#23 · Verb · VERB
In Romanian, putea means “can; to be able to”. It’s the #23 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
A modal verb meaning 'can' or 'to be able to'; it also expresses possibility, permission, and polite requests.
neutralability or possibility
I can come tomorrow.
I can't go now.
possibility, often in more cautious statements
It may rain later.
I could call you later.
used in polite requests, usually with să + infinitive
Could you help me, please?
May I come in?
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top 5 forms cover about 89% of everyday use — learn these first.
| Tense | eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | pot | poți | poate | putem | puteți | pot |
| Imperfect | puteam | puteai | putea | puteam | puteați | puteau |
| Perfect compus | am putut | ai putut | a putut | am putut | ați putut | au putut |
| Future | voi putea | vei putea | va putea | vom putea | veți putea | vor putea |
| Conditional | aș putea | ai putea | ar putea | am putea | ați putea | ar putea |
| Subjunctive | să pot | să poți | să poată | să putem | să puteți | să poată |
Nu pot vorbi acum.
I can't talk now.
pot - present-tense first person singular
Poți să-mi explici, te rog?
Can you explain it to me, please?
poți - present-tense second person singular
Am putut termina la timp.
I was able to finish on time.
am putut - compound past
Common phrases built around putea — worth learning as whole units.
lit. “not I-can”
lit. “I-can that” · conjugates by person: poți să (you), poate să (he/she)
lit. “it-would-be-able” · conjugates by person: aș putea (I), ai putea (you)
lit. “it can”
lit. “refl-would be-able”
lit. “not refl can”