Commonly confused

Poder vs Saber: two ways to say "can" in Spanish

English uses "can" for both physical ability and knowing how to do something. Spanish distinguishes between the two: poder expresses being able to (physical capacity, permission, possibility); saber expresses knowing how to (learned skill or knowledge). The difference becomes clear with a simple contrast.

Key distinction

Poder = to be (physically) able to, to be allowed to; saber = to know how to (a skill).

Present tense — side by side

poder to be able to / can
yo puedo
tú puedes
él/ella puede
nosotros podemos
vosotros podéis
ellos/ellas pueden
Full conjugation table →
saber to know (facts)
yo sé
tú sabes
él/ella sabe
nosotros sabemos
vosotros sabéis
ellos/ellas saben
Full conjugation table →

When to use poder

Physical ability or circumstantial capacity

  • No puedo correr hoy, me duele la rodilla. I can't run today, my knee hurts.
  • El bebé ya puede caminar. The baby can walk now.

Permission

  • ¿Puedo salir antes? Can I leave early?
  • No puedes fumar aquí. You can't smoke here.

Possibility

  • Puede que llueva. It might rain.
  • Podría ser verdad. It could be true.

When to use saber

Knowing how to do something (learned skill)

  • Sé conducir desde los dieciocho. I've known how to drive since I was eighteen.
  • ¿Sabes tocar la guitarra? Can you play the guitar (do you know how)?

Language ability

  • Sé hablar tres idiomas. I can speak three languages.
  • ¿Sabes español? Can you speak Spanish / do you know Spanish?

Common mistakes to avoid

✗ No puedo nadar. ✓ No sé nadar. (or No puedo nadar, depending on meaning)

If you never learned, use "no sé nadar". If you can swim but are injured or in the wrong place, use "no puedo nadar".

✗ Sé hablar pero hoy estoy ronco. ✓ Sé hablar pero hoy no puedo — estoy ronco.

You know how to speak (saber), but today you're physically unable (poder).

Memory trick

"Power" — poder gives you the power/permission/capacity to do something. Saber is about skill and savvy, not power.

The swimming pool test

There are two ways to not be able to swim: you never learned (no sé nadar) or you're injured/the pool is closed (no puedo nadar). This single example captures the entire distinction.

Poder in the conditional for politeness

¿Podría hablar con el director? (Could I speak with the manager?) The conditional of poder is one of the most important politeness tools in Spanish — softer and more formal than the present.

May vs might: puede que + subjunctive

Expressing probability in Spanish uses poder: Puede que llegue tarde (He may arrive late). Note that puede que always triggers the subjunctive.

Stop second-guessing — practise with a tutor

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More commonly confused verbs

ser vs estar Ser describes what something fundamentally IS; estar describes how something IS right now. Read guide → saber vs conocer Saber = knowing facts or skills; conocer = being acquainted with people, places, or things. Read guide → pedir vs preguntar Preguntar = to ask a question; pedir = to ask for / request something. Read guide → llevar vs traer Llevar = moving something away from the reference point; traer = moving something toward the reference point. Read guide →
← All confused verb guides