Pode ser : maybe, could be, possible
You hear this quite a lot in Brazil! You're literally saying: to be able to be. Pode ser!
And that seems a bit strange - at first. I'm sure that learning to say "maybe" feels strange to english learners as well.
Notice that on this last one, I didn't even include maybe or, could be in the english translation. That's because we'd probably say it like that. Or maybe like this: Maybe we can have lunch on Thursday. Brazilian will often tack-on this expression to the end of a sentence just to make sure that they are unsure. MAYBE.
The first 14 days are free to try.
A better, more engaging way to learn language. 🇧🇷 No commitment. Cancel anytime.
What about Podem ser or, Poderia ser?
Sure you can.
PODER can be in pretty much any mood, any tense. But SER is always just SER. In this expression SER doesn't get conjugated because it's always just expressing to be.
Other great and useful expressions that use PODER including:
Pode deixar. » Leave it (to me).
Pode vim. » You can come.
Whenever PODER is used together with another verb, great things happen 😼
For $ZERO
First 2 weeks are free. No commitment. Cancel anytime.
Poder = to be able to, can. It’s often paired with a verb like this:
Posso sair? (Can I go leave?)
Você pode ir? (Can you go?)
Ela pode ajudar? (Can she help?)
* Note the verb after poder is always in the infinitive.
It’s similar to CONSEGUIR but used more often. Its conjugation is irregular.
Você pode me ajudar? (Can you help me?)
Eu posso trabalhar amanhã. (I can work tomorrow.)
A gente pode fazer juntos? (Can we do it together?)
| I can | eu po | sso | |
| you/he/she can | você/ele/ela po | de |
PODER in Portuguese 
SER and ESTAR
2 Responses to “Pode ser”