When the American President Barack Obama launched his famous optimistic campaign slogan “Yes, we can”, several French newpapers labeled it as the strategic vision based on the good old proverb “vouloir c’est pouvoir“, which can be translated as “to want is to be able to.” Le jeux de mot (the pun) here was intended between the two meanings of the word “pouvoir“: As a verb, it means “to be able (to do something)“; as a noun, it means “power“, as in “political power.”

Setting all politics aside, the goal of today’s post is to show you how a verb of the 3rd group, “pouvoir”, is conjugué.

After that, if your French teacher asked you if you knew the conjugaison of the verbe “pouvoir“, you will confidently be able to say “Oui, je peux” (“Yes, I can“)!

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Pouvoir—Here as a noun, as in “Le Pouvoir d’Achat” (“Purchasing Power”) By La Chanson du Dimanche

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