In this French grammar lesson we will learn about pouvoir conjugation in the passe composé.
Pouvoir means “to be able to/can” and is a irregular verb.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how pouvoir is conjugated in French,
- how pouvoir in the passé composé is used in French,
- how pouvoir is pronounced in French,
- how pouvoir is used in sentences in French,
- how you can quiz yourself on the pouvoir conjugation in the passé composé
- how to practice with flashcards for pouvoir conjugation in the passé composé
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A2 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar if you are curious about how pouvoir fits in French A2 grammar.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about pouvoir conjugation in the passé composé.
Table of Contents
Pouvoir Conjugation in the Passé Composé
| j’ | ai | pu |
| tu | as | pu |
| il/elle/on | as | pu |
| nous | avons | pu |
| vous | avez | pu |
| ils/elles | ont | pu |
Usage of Pouvoir Conjugation in the Passé Composé
This section on pouvoir conjugation in the passé composé will show you what pouvoir means in the passé composé.
There are 3 general usages for pouvoir in the passé composé
- Could
J’ai pu tout entendre.
I could hear everything.
- Managed to
Tu as pu dormir ?
Did you manage to sleep?
- Succeeded in
Elle a pu ouvrir la boîte.
She succeeded in opening the box.
Pronunciation of Pouvoir Conjugations
In this section on pouvoir conjugation in the passé composé we will focus on pronunciation.
There is 1 important rule to take into account when we want to pronounce a pouvoir conjugation in the passé composé.
- The particip passé is pronounced in the same way for all the verbs. The last letter that you will hear is the u.
J’ai pu
Tu as pu
Il a pu
Nous avons pu
Vous avez pu
Ils ont pu
As you can see particip passé has the same pronuncuation in every phrase.
Example Sentences with Pouvoir Conjugation in the Passé Composé
The final section of this lesson on pouvoir conjugation in the passé composé is about seeing pouvoir in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of pouvoir conjugation in the passé composé through examples.
J’ai pu tout entendre.
I could hear everything.
Tu as pu dormir ?
Did you manage to sleep?
Elle a pu ouvrir la boîte.
She succeeded in opening the box.
Nous avons fait tout ce que nous avons pu.
We did everything we could.
Vous n’avez jamais pu garder un secret.
You never could keep a secret.
Ils n’ont pu trouver le problème.
They couldn’t find the problem.
Quiz Yourself on Pouvoir Conjugation in the Passé Composé
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
It is up to you to give the correct answer.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki, you can get our French A2 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,816 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A2.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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