potevamo

Potevamo is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb potere, meaning to be able to or can. It translates to "we could" or "we were able to" in English and is used to describe past ability, permission, or possibility. In ordinary use, potevamo is followed by an infinitive to express an action that was possible in the past (potevamo mangiare, we could eat).

Morphology and usage context: Potevamo is part of the six imperfect forms of potere: io potevo, tu potevi, lui/lei poteva, noi potevamo, voi potevate, loro potevano. This form typically appears in narrative or descriptive past contexts to indicate a continuing or habitual past capability. As a modal verb, potere is commonly used with another verb in the infinitive, for example potevamo viaggiare (we could travel) or potevamo decidere (we could decide). The imperfect imperfective nuance contrasts with the present "possiamo" (we can) and with the conditional "potremmo" (we could, in a hypothetical or future sense).

Etymology and related forms: Potevamo derives from Latin posse, through Old Italian, with the imperfect suffix that yields potevo, potevi, poteva, potevamo, potevate, potevano. The form shows the same semantic core as other romance languages’ imperfect expressions of ability.

See also: potere, Italian verb conjugation, imperfect indicative, Italian grammar.