Common Irregular Verbs: pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, savoir

These four verbs are among the most essential in French. They express ability, desire, obligation, and knowledge — concepts you need in virtually every conversation. All four are irregular and share a similar "boot verb" conjugation pattern.

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Pouvoir — To Be Able To / Can

Present Tense Conjugation

Subject	Conjugation	Pronunciation
je	peux	"puh"
tu	peux	"puh"
il/elle/on	peut	"puh"
nous	pouvons	"poo-VOHN"
vous	pouvez	"poo-VAY"
ils/elles	peuvent	"puhv"

Note: In very formal or inverted questions, je peux can become puis-je : Puis-je vous aider ? (May I help you?)

Key Uses