Did you know that the English verb “can” can be translated into Italian in three different ways? Each of the three verbs brings its own twist to the concept of “can” – creating a painter’s palette of nuanced expressions!
The Coffee Break Italian Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations in which we demystify tricky Italian language topics. In the latest episode, Francesca and Mark guide us through this topic to understand these three verbs and discover how they transform the simple idea of “can”. They discuss the different uses of the three verbs and also their irregular conjugations.
Continue reading to find out more, and why not listen to the podcast as you go!
sapere
sapere – present tense:
so
sai
sa
sappiamo
sapete
sanno
This verb is used to talk about our abilities and skills that you have acquired. The idea is that there has been a learning process that has allowed you to know how to do something. Here are some examples to clarify this point:
Luca sa suonare il violino.
Luca can / knows how to play the violin.
So giocare a golf.
I can / know how to play golf.
I miei amici non sanno cucinare.
My friends can’t / don’t know how to cook.
potere
potere – present tense:
posso
puoi
può
possiamo
potete
possono
You should use this verb when you have the possibility of doing something or the permission to do something. As Francesca explains, the idea is that other people or some external factors affect your ability to do something. Let’s look at some examples:
Questa sera Anna può uscire perché non lavora.
Tonight, Anna can go out because she is not working.
Non posso mangiare i crostacei.
I can’t eat shellfish.
Notice the difference if we decide to use sapere for this last sentence:
Non so mangiare i crostacei.
I can’t eat shellfish (because I don’t know how to clean them, for example, rather than because of an allergy).
Potere is also a verb of politeness and it is used to make requests. For example:
Puoi prestarmi il motorino, per favore?
Can you lend me your moped, please?
riuscire
riuscire – present tense:
riesco
riesci
riesce
riusciamo
riuscite
riescono
Our last verb for today is riuscire, which conveys the idea of succeeding in doing something or managing to do something. It indicates that the person has made an effort to do something. For example, we would say:
riuscire a fare qualcosa
to manage to do something
As you can see there, when using this verb, it is important to remember that it is followed by a + an infinitive. Here are some examples:
Non riesco a trovare le chiavi.
I can’t find my keys (because I left them somewhere).
Luisa riesce sempre a sorprendermi.
Luisa always succeeds in surprising me.
Nuances of ‘sapere’, ‘potere’ & ‘riuscire’
We can see the nuances of these three verbs in Italian by changing the verb in this example:
Riesci ad aprire questa bottiglia?
Can you manage to open this bottle?
Puoi aprire questa bottiglia?
Can you / Are you allowed to open this bottle? (Maybe you’ve been saving it for some time for a specific occasion.)
Sai aprire questa bottiglia?
Can you / Do you know how to open this bottle? (Maybe it’s tricky to open because there is a specific way of opening it.)
A little test… Can you do it?
Here’s a final test to check if you have understood the difference between sapere, potere and riuscire! Can you identify the subtle difference in meaning between each sentence below? Think about what the context may be in each situation, then scroll down to the end of the article to find the answers.
- Non so guidare il camper.
- Non posso guidare il camper.
- Non riesco a guidare il camper.
Eccoci alla fine!
The next time you’re in Italy or engaging in an Italian conversation, remember these three useful verbs. They will not only enrich your language skills but also open doors to a better understanding of the nuances of the Italian language.
If you found this post interesting, make sure to listen to the full episode with Mark and Maurizio on The Coffee Break Italian Show. This is the series in which we look at a range of topics for Italian learners, so make sure to subscribe to our podcast feed or our channel on YouTube.
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Happy Coffee Breaking!
PS. Here are the answers to our test:
- Non so guidare il camper. I can’t / I don’t know how to drive the camper van. (I have never learned how to drive one.)
- Non posso guidare il camper. I can’t / I’m not allowed to drive the camper van. (I don’t have permission to do so, perhaps I don’t have the right licence or insurance policy to do so.)
- Non riesco a guidare il camper. I can’t / I’m not able to drive the camper van. (No matter how hard I try – perhaps it feels too big).
