pueda

Pueda is a verb form in Spanish, functioning as the present subjunctive of poder, meaning "to be able to." It is used in subordinate clauses expressing possibility, doubt, desire, or necessity, and can refer to the speaker or to others. The form can appear in both yo and él/ella/usted contexts, depending on the sentence.

In present tense conjugation of the subjunctive mood, poder appears as pueda, puedas, pueda, podamos, podáis, puedan. Specifically, pueda is the singular form used for first or third person in present subjunctive (for example, "Espero que pueda venir" or "Quiero que pueda ayudar"). This contrasts with the indicative present tense, such as "puede," which means "he/she can" or "you can" in a straightforward statement.

Etymologically, poder derives from Latin and Proto-Romance roots related to capability and power. The Spanish verb is part of a larger family of verbs expressing ability or possibility, and its subjunctive forms are key to expressing hypothetical, uncertain, or desirable scenarios in complex sentences.

Usage notes include its appearance after conjunctions or expressions of doubt or wish (que, tal vez, quizá), and in polite requests or indirect speech. Pueda frequently occurs in sentences like "Ojalá pueda asistir" (I hope that he can come) or "Es posible que pueda cambiar de fecha." It is often paired with other tenses to express different time frames, such as "si pudiera" (if I could) or "pueda haber sido" (there may have been).

See also: poder, subjunctive mood, Spanish grammar, conditional phrases.