Potendosi

Potendosi is the present gerund form of the Italian pronominal verb potersi, itself a reflexive construction of the auxiliary verb potere (“to be able”). In Italian grammar the gerund functions as a non‑finite verb form that can express simultaneous or subsequent actions, reason, manner, or condition. When combined with the reflexive pronoun si, potendosi conveys the notion of being capable of performing an action upon oneself, often implying a capacity, possibility, or convenience that the subject can exercise.

The form is built from the stem of potere (pot-) plus the gerund ending –endo, followed by the clitic pronoun si attached to the verb: potendosi. It appears most frequently in literary or formal contexts, and it can introduce subordinate clauses, participial phrases, or serve as a complement to another verb. Example sentences include: “Il medico consigliò al paziente di prepararsi al meglio, potendosi seguire una dieta equilibrata” and “Potendosi affidare a tecnologie avanzate, le aziende migliorano la produttività”. In these cases potendosi expresses the potential for self‑directed action.

From a syntactic standpoint, potendosi behaves like other gerundial constructions: it does not agree in person or number with the subject, and it usually requires an explicit or implied antecedent. It may be replaced by alternative structures such as “avendo la possibilità di” or “poter” followed by an infinitive, though the gerund often yields a more fluid or concise style.

Although potendosi is not a lexical item with a dedicated dictionary entry, recognition of its pattern aids learners of Italian in parsing complex sentences and in producing nuanced expressions of ability and self‑reference.