What is the future of poder in Spanish?

Podré, podrás, podrá, podremos, podréis, podrán. Irregular stem podr- (drop e from pod-er) + regular future endings. Podré ayudar = I'll be able to help.

What's the difference between podré and podría?

Podré (future) = I'll be able to (definite future ability). Podría (conditional) = I would be able to / could (hypothetical or polite). Podría is also more polite for requests: ¿Podrías traer...? (Could you bring...?).

Does poder always take an infinitive?

Yes, when used as a modal. Poder + infinitive = to be able to + verb. Podré ir (I'll be able to go), podrás aprender (you'll be able to learn). Without an infinitive, poder is incomplete.

Can future poder express probability?

Yes. Podrá ser cierto (it might be true), podrán haber salido (they might have left). This is similar to other future-for-probability uses in Spanish.

How can I master the future of poder?

Drill the podr- stem and pair it with infinitives: podré + ir / ayudar / venir. Practice in polite requests (¿podrás?) and negative predictions (no podré). Parrot's videos surface these uses in real conversation.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

Future of Poder: Podré, Podrás, Podrá, Conjugation and Use

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

The future of poder uses the irregular stem podr-: podré, podrás, podrá, podremos, podréis, podrán. Drop e from infinitive (pod-er → podr-). Same pattern as haber (habr-), saber (sabr-), querer (querr-).

Mañana podré ayudarte.

Tomorrow I'll be able to help you.

What it is

The future of poder uses the irregular stem podr-: podré, podrás, podrá, podremos, podréis, podrán. The infinitive pod-er drops its e before adding regular future endings.

In Mañana podré ayudarte (Tomorrow I'll be able to help you), podré is the future yo form of poder, predicting future capability.

How to spot it

Look for podr- + endings: podré, podrás, podrá, podremos, podrán. The d in the stem is the irregular feature.

Podrás hacerlo. — You'll be able to do it.
No podremos asistir. — We won't be able to attend.
Podrán ayudar. — They'll be able to help.

Future poder always pairs with an infinitive: podré + infinitive = will be able to + verb.

Future of Poder Quick Reference

Future of poder, irregular stem podr-

Person	Form	Translation
yo	podré	I will be able to
tú	podrás	you will be able to
él/ella/Ud.	podrá	he/she/it will be able to
nosotros	podremos	we will be able to
vosotros	podréis	you all will be able to (Spain)
ellos/ellas/Uds.	podrán	they will be able to

Common Future of Poder Examples in Spanish

Future of poder in real contexts:

Future Capability

Podré ayudarte mañana.: I'll be able to help you tomorrow.
Podrás aprender rápido.: You'll be able to learn quickly.
Podremos verlo el viernes.: We'll be able to see it Friday.
Podrán llegar a las nueve.: They'll be able to arrive at nine.
Pronto podrás hablar fluido.: Soon you'll be able to speak fluently.

Most common use: predicting future ability or possibility.

Polite Requests / Questions

¿Podrás venir mañana?: Will you be able to come tomorrow?
¿Podrán ayudarme?: Will they be able to help me?
¿Podrá traerme un café?: Could you bring me a coffee?
¿Podremos hablar luego?: Will we be able to talk later?
¿Podréis quedaros?: Will you all be able to stay?

Future poder is polite but not as polite as conditional poder (¿podrías?), which is the gentlest form.

Negative Predictions

No podré asistir a la reunión.: I won't be able to attend the meeting.
No podremos terminar a tiempo.: We won't be able to finish on time.
No podrán encontrarlo.: They won't be able to find it.
No podrás creerlo.: You won't be able to believe it.
No podré dormir esta noche.: I won't be able to sleep tonight.

Common in declining invitations or predicting inability.

Present Probability

Podrá tener razón.: He might be right.
Podrá ser cierto.: It might be true.
Podrán haber salido.: They might have left.
Podrá estar enfermo.: He might be sick.
Podrás ver que es difícil.: You can probably see it's difficult.

Future poder can express present possibility (might be / could be).

How to Use the Future of Poder

Irregular Stem: Drop e

Pod-er drops its e to form podr-, then regular future endings attach.

pod-er → podr- + é = podré.

Irregular stem, regular endings.

Podr- + endings. NOT *poderé.

Always Pairs with an Infinitive

Poder is a modal verb. It always needs an infinitive after it: podré ayudar (I'll be able to help), podrás venir (you'll be able to come). Without an infinitive, poder is incomplete.

Podré + ir / hablar / hacer / venir.

Future ability + verb.

Podré + infinitive = will be able to + verb.

Polite Requests

Future poder makes polite requests: ¿Podrás traerme...? (Could you bring me...?). Conditional poder (¿podrías?) is even more polite. Present poder (¿puedes?) is direct.

¿Podrás (polite) / podrías (more polite) / puedes (direct)?

Politeness gradient.

Future = polite. Conditional = more polite.

Same Stem as Conditional

The future stem (podr-) is the same as the conditional stem. Future: podré. Conditional: podría.

Future: podré. Conditional: podría.

I'll be able to vs. I could.

Podr- stem covers both tenses.

Common Mistakes with Future of Poder

Incorrect: Poderé ayudarte. — I'll be able to help you.

Correct: Podré ayudarte. — I'll be able to help you.

Poder has an IRREGULAR future stem: podr- (drop e from pod-er). Form is podré, not the regular *poderé.

Incorrect: Podré ayudo. — I'll be able to help.

Correct: Podré ayudar. — I'll be able to help.

Poder takes an INFINITIVE (ayudar), not a conjugated verb (ayudo). All modal verbs in Spanish follow this rule.

Incorrect: Podre ir mañana. — I'll be able to go tomorrow.

Correct: Podré ir mañana. — I'll be able to go tomorrow.

Future yo form carries an accent: podré. Without the accent, the word changes meaning (podre means rotten in some contexts).

Future of Poder FAQs

What is the future of poder in Spanish?: Podré, podrás, podrá, podremos, podréis, podrán. Irregular stem podr- (drop e from pod-er) + regular future endings. Podré ayudar = I'll be able to help.
What's the difference between podré and podría?: Podré (future) = I'll be able to (definite future ability). Podría (conditional) = I would be able to / could (hypothetical or polite). Podría is also more polite for requests: ¿Podrías traer...? (Could you bring...?).
Does poder always take an infinitive?: Yes, when used as a modal. Poder + infinitive = to be able to + verb. Podré ir (I'll be able to go), podrás aprender (you'll be able to learn). Without an infinitive, poder is incomplete.
Can future poder express probability?: Yes. Podrá ser cierto (it might be true), podrán haber salido (they might have left). This is similar to other future-for-probability uses in Spanish.
How can I master the future of poder?: Drill the podr- stem and pair it with infinitives: podré + ir / ayudar / venir. Practice in polite requests (¿podrás?) and negative predictions (no podré). Parrot's videos surface these uses in real conversation.