possiate

Pos­siate is the second-person plural present subjunctive form of the Italian verb potere, meaning to be able or can. It appears in phrases that express possibility, doubt, wish, or hypothetical situations in subordinate clauses, especially after verbs of desire, doubt, or emotion and in formal or literary Italian.

Usage of possiate is most common in sentences introduced by che, such as Spero che voi possiate venire (I hope that you can come) or Non sono sicuro che voi possiate farlo (I’m not sure that you can do it). It is also used in conditional or hypothetical contexts, for example Se voi possiate aiutarci, saremmo grati (If you all can help us, we would be grateful). In everyday speech, speakers often prefer more direct or less formal constructions, such as using the indicative form or a modal alternative, depending on regional practice and register.

Etymology and grammar notes: possiate comes from the irregular verb potere, whose present subjunctive forms derive from the Latin verb posse with appropriate Italian subjunctive endings. The full present subjunctive paradigm for potere includes: che io possa, che tu possa, che lui possa, che noi possiamo, che voi possiate, che essi possano. The form possiate specifically marks the second-person plural in the subjunctive mood.

See also: Potere (to be able), Congiuntivo presente (present subjunctive), Italian grammar references.