podían

Podían is a Spanish verb form. It is the imperfect indicative conjugation of the verb poder, which means "to be able to" or "can." The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing actions, habitual actions, or states of being in the past. Therefore, "podían" translates to "they could," "they were able to," or "they used to be able to," depending on the context.

For example, "Ellos podían nadar muy bien" means "They could swim very well" or "They were able to swim very well," indicating a past ability. "Cuando eran jóvenes, podían jugar todo el día" translates to "When they were young, they used to be able to play all day," describing a habitual past action. The subject of "podían" is third-person plural, referring to "ellos" (they - masculine or mixed group) or "ellas" (they - feminine group). Understanding the imperfect tense is crucial for accurately interpreting the meaning of "podían" within a Spanish sentence, as it conveys a sense of duration, repetition, or background description rather than a completed action.