potevi

Potevi is the second-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb potere, meaning “to be able to” or “can.” It expresses past ability, possibility, or permission, and it can also indicate a habitual or ongoing capability in the past. The form is common in both everyday speech and narrative writing.

Conjugation and origin: Potere is irregular in some tenses, but the imperfect uses the regular endings for -ere verbs with the stem pote-: io potevo, tu potevi, lui/lei poteva, noi potevamo, voi potevate, loro potevano. Potevi is the tu form in the imperfect. The verb ultimately derives from Latin posse.

Usage: Potevi is used to state past ability or possibility, or to describe permission in the past. It can convey an ongoing capability or a habitual situation. Examples: “Ieri potevi studiare se avevi tempo.” (Yesterday you could study if you had time.) “Da bambino potevi restare fuori finché non diventava buio.” (As a child you could stay out until it got dark.) “Non potevi entrare senza il biglietto.” (You could not enter without the ticket.)

Notes: In modern Italian, potevi coexists with other past-tense forms like potesti or avresti potuto in more remote or formal contexts. Potevi is best understood as the imperfect present of potentiality in the past and remains common in everyday usage. See also potere for the related verb and its various tenses.