pouvoir

• powoir (Louisiana)

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.

• IPA^(key): /pu.vwaʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• (Louisiana) IPA^(key): [pu.wɒɾ]
• Rhymes: -waʁ

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.”)

• 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…

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

• puissance

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

• abus de pouvoir
• au pouvoir
• fondé de pouvoir
• passation de pouvoir
• pleins pouvoirs
• pouvoir d’achat
• pouvoir de marché
• pouvoir toujours courir
• prendre le pouvoir
• vouloir c’est pouvoir

• “pouvoir”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.