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eles podiam

could, were able to

p u d i ɐ̃ w̃ → poder
podi be able to + am they imperfect
auxiliary · third plural · imperfect indicative Uncommon #15,024
could Imperfect tense (they/you all could; also used as a polite form for “you could”).
PO: Eles podiam chegar mais cedo, mas ficaram presos no trânsito.
EN: They could arrive earlier, but they got stuck in traffic.
Conjugation of poder
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
Third — podiam

Eles podiam ter tirado vocês de mim.

They could have taken you away from me.

— Adeus, Lênin! (2003)

Todos os outros podiam ver um nascer do sol quando quisessem.

Everyone else could see a sunrise whenever they wanted.

— Boa Sorte, Divirta-se, Não Morra (2026)

Ele disse que as estrelas podiam ser nosso padre e a lua seria nossa madrinha.

He said that the stars could be our priest and the moon would be our godmother.

— Férias de Amor (1955)

Ele correu o mais rápido que seus membros podiam carregá-lo.

He ran as fast as his limbs could carry him.

Ele achava que os pontos de cruz podiam substituir bem as pinturas de óleo.

He thought that cross-stitch could be a good substitute for oil paintings.

Os estudantes podiam fazer uma manifestação para impedir você de cantar.

The students could hold a protest to stop you from singing.

— O Motorista de Táxi (2017)

O que podiam fazer?

What could they do?

— Amores Brutos (2000)

Aquelas pessoas eram meus pais, mas podiam ter sido outras pessoas.

Those people were my parents, but they could have been other people.

— Asas do Desejo (1987)

Eles podiam viver como queriam em Massachusetts.

They could live however they wanted in Massachusetts.

Tom e Mary podiam fazer isso, eu acho.

Tom and Mary could do that, I think.

Podiam ter avisado, pelo menos!

They could have at least warned us!

— Sem Amor (2017)

Tom e Maria disseram que podiam ver fantasmas.

Tom and Maria said they could see ghosts.

Muitos podiam seguir seu exemplo.

Many could follow your example.

— O Leopardo (1963)

Estava tão escuro que eles mal podiam enxergar.

It was so dark they could barely see.

Pensavam que podiam matar-me?

Did they think they could kill me?

— Akira (1988)

Não sabia que carros americanos podiam quebrar.

I didn't know American cars could break down.

— Assassinato (2015)

Eles podiam começar com o banho.

They could start with the shower.

— Os Visitantes (1993)

Vocês podiam ganhar um prêmio!

You guys could win an award!

— O Segredo de Aman (2003)

Podiam colar seu dedo ao contrário.

They could glue your finger on backwards.

— Grave (2017)

Os testes médicos podiam provar o que diz.

Medical tests could prove what he says.

— O Homem da Terra (2007)

Tom e Mary fizeram a única coisa que podiam fazer.

Tom and Mary did the only thing they could do.

Disse a eles que podiam fazer isso?

Did I tell them they could do that?

— Uma Batalha Após a Outra (2025)

verb · third plural · imperfect indicative Rare #28,764
could, were able to Imperfect tense (they/you all could); often implies a past situation that was ongoing or repeated.
PO: Quando eram crianças, eles podiam brincar na rua até tarde.
EN: When they were children, they could play in the street until late.
Conjugation of poder
SingularPlural
First — podermos
poder
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First podia podíamos
Second podias —
Third podia podiam

Podiam deixar a gente esquecer.

They could let us forget.

— Central do Brasil (1998)

Eles fizeram tudo o que podiam.

They did everything they could.

Não podiam, ao menos, fingir que estão interessados no meu problema?!

Couldn't they at least pretend to be interested in my problem?!

— Astérix e Obélix: Missão Cleópatra (2002)

Não podiam nos ajudar.

They couldn't help us.

Os médicos fizeram tudo o que podiam para curá-lo.

The doctors did everything they could to cure him.

O que podiam.

What they could do.

— Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Eles não podiam nos ajudar.

They couldn't help us.

E deixavam claro sempre que podiam!

And they made that clear whenever they could!

— O Sobrevivente (2025)

Elas não podiam nos ajudar.

They couldn't help us.