le pouvoir
power
Definition & meaning
Pouvoir has two main uses:
-
As a verb: “to be able to,” “can,” or “may”
It expresses ability, possibility, or permission.- Je peux venir. — “I can come.”
- Vous pouvez entrer. — “You may enter” or “You can come in.”
- Il peut pleuvoir demain. — “It may rain tomorrow.”
Depending on context, pouvoir can indicate:
- Ability: Elle peut nager. — “She can swim.”
- Possibility: Cela peut arriver. — “That may happen.”
- Permission: Tu peux utiliser mon ordinateur. — “You may use my computer.”
-
As a noun: “power,” “authority,” or “influence”
Le pouvoir refers to the ability to control, govern, or influence people or events.- Le pouvoir politique — “political power”
- Prendre le pouvoir — “to seize or take power”
- Avoir beaucoup de pouvoir — “to have a lot of power”
Grammar & Word origin
As a verb, pouvoir is an irregular verb belonging to the third conjugation group. It is normally followed by another verb in the infinitive:
- Je peux travailler. — “I can work.”
- Nous pouvons partir. — “We can leave.”
- Ils pourront réussir. — “They will be able to succeed.”
Its present-tense forms include:
- je peux — “I can”
- tu peux — “you can”
- il/elle peut — “he/she can”
- nous pouvons — “we can”
- vous pouvez — “you can”
- ils/elles peuvent — “they can”
The first-person singular form is peux, although the final x is silent. In the negative, it becomes je ne peux pas — “I cannot” or “I can’t.”
As a noun, pouvoir is masculine: le pouvoir. It comes from Old French and ultimately from the Latin verb posse, meaning “to be able.”
Synonyms & antonyms
As a verb
- être capable de — “to be capable of”; emphasizes ability or competence more strongly than pouvoir.
- avoir la possibilité de — “to have the possibility of”; focuses on circumstances rather than personal ability.
- avoir le droit de — “to have the right to”; specifically expresses permission or authorization.
Common antonyms include:
- être incapable de — “to be unable to”; directly contrasts with the ability-related sense of pouvoir.
- ne pas avoir le droit de — “not to be allowed to”; contrasts with the permission-related sense.
As a noun
- l’autorité — “authority”; focuses on the legitimate right to command.
- la puissance — “power” or “might”; often suggests strength, force, or capability.
- l’influence — “influence”; refers to the ability to affect people or events, often indirectly.
Possible antonyms include:
- l’impuissance — “powerlessness” or “helplessness.”
- la soumission — “submission”; describes a lack of independence or authority.
Common phrases & collocations
- le pouvoir — power or authority
- le pouvoir politique — political power
- le pouvoir d’achat — purchasing power
- prendre le pouvoir — to take or seize power
- être au pouvoir — to be in power
- avoir le pouvoir de — to have the power or ability to
- si possible — if possible
- pouvoir faire quelque chose — to be able to do something
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Examples
Le roi a beaucoup de pouvoir.noun
The king has a lot of power.
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