what is it?
In Spanish, querer (to want) and poder (to be able to / can) are modal-like verbs that attach directly to a following infinitive with no preposition in between. The first verb is conjugated to agree with the subject; the second verb stays in the infinitive. The same infinitive can also function as the subject of a sentence — equivalent to the English gerund «travelling is expensive» — and the verb creer que (to believe/think that) introduces a belief using the indicative mood.
when to use it
Expressing a want. Use a conjugated form of querer followed immediately by an infinitive: quiero comer (I want to eat).
Expressing ability or possibility. Use a conjugated form of poder followed immediately by an infinitive: puedo hablar (I can speak).
Using an infinitive as a subject. When an action is the topic of a sentence, Spanish uses the infinitive (not the gerund): viajar es caro (travelling is expensive). The infinitive is treated as a singular masculine noun.
Stating a belief with creer que. Creer que expresses a positive belief and is followed by the indicative, not the subjunctive: creo que es verdad (I think it is true).
formation
Both querer and poder are stem-changing verbs (e→ie and o→ue respectively) in the present tense. The infinitive that follows never changes.
| pronoun | querer | poder |
|---|---|---|
| yo | quiero | puedo |
| tú | quieres | puedes |
| él / ella / usted | quiere | puede |
| nosotros / nosotras | queremos | podemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | queréis | podéis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | quieren | pueden |
The structure is always: [conjugated querer / poder] + [infinitive]. No preposition is inserted between the two verbs.
Contrast this with verbs that do require a preposition before the infinitive, such as ir a + infinitive (voy a comer) or aprender a + infinitive (aprendo a leer). Querer and poder take no such preposition.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Adding a preposition after querer or poder. Learners sometimes write *quiero a viajar by analogy with ir a + infinitive or aprender a + infinitive. Querer and poder connect to the infinitive directly: quiero viajar, puedo ayudarte.
Using the gerund as a subject. English uses «-ing» as a subject noun (travelling, eating), so learners transfer this and write *viajando es caro. In Spanish the infinitive fills this role: viajar es caro. The gerund (viajando) is used only for ongoing actions, never as a subject noun.
Using the subjunctive after creer que. Expressions of doubt such as no creer que or dudar que do trigger the subjunctive, but affirmative creer que states a belief and takes the indicative. Writing *creo que sea verdad is incorrect; the right form is creo que es verdad.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
No ___ ver bien porque la pantalla no está clara. (poder)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.