Poder vs. Conseguir

Some Portuguese verbs have such similar meanings that it can be quite confusing for learners to know which to use in different contexts. Two of these tricky verbs are poder Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine and conseguir Slow audio Play audio Verb . In this Learning Note, we’ll cover how to distinguish between poder vs. conseguir.
If you’re not familiar with these verbs, you can explore the conjugations here: poder and conseguir
If you translate a phrase or look these up in a dictionary, they both generally correspond to something like to be able to or can.  However, poder and conseguir are typically not interchangeable. Take a look at these two phrases:
Eu não posso conduzirI can’t drive
Eu não consigo conduzirI can’t drive
Both of these translate to the same words in English. Yet, in Portuguese, the implied meaning is actually quite different! Let’s dig a bit deeper…

🙏🏽 When to Use Poder

Look again at the sentence we mentioned just above:
Eu não posso conduzirI can't drive
The verb poder is implying that the person speaking is not allowed to drive. It could be that this person is underage, or that someone has forbidden them to drive.
So, the verb poder is used in scenarios in which we are describing what we are allowed and not allowed to do. There is an element of approval or prohibition in it.
Here are more examples:

• Eu não posso ir à festaI can’t go to the party – I am not allowed to go to the party. Maybe I have been banned from going?
• Ela não pode falar assim comigo!She can’t speak to me like that! – She is not allowed to / shouldn’t speak to me like that.

Poder is also used when we request something or ask for permission, similar to how “may” is used in English:

• Posso?May I? Slow audio Play audio
• Posso ir à casa de banho?May I go to the bathroom please? – i.e. Do I have permission to go to the bathroom?
• Podes-me passar esse copo?Can you pass me that glass? – I want to know if you’d do a favour for me, not whether you are physically capable of handing me the glass.

Accordingly, even if the question is not technically about asking for permission, you will often hear poder in questions. This is because it adds a subtle element of politeness. For example:

• Onde posso encontrar um táxi?Where can I find a cab? Slow audio Play audio – i.e. Where might I find a cab?

💪🏽 When to Use Conseguir

Now, in which contexts do we use the verb conseguir?
If we look back at our initial phrase:
Eu não consigo conduzirI can't drive
This phrase suggests that the speaker is unable to drive for a physical or psychological reason. Perhaps the speaker has a disability or just never learned to drive a car.
When deciding between poder vs. conseguir, remember that conseguir is usually used in scenarios where you are attempting to achieve or obtain something. If you were capable of doing something and you managed to do it: Conseguiste!You did it!, You managed!
Let’s see some more examples involving getting something or managing to do something:

• A noite passada consegui dormir bemLast night I managed to sleep well
• Tu conseguiste bilhetes para o concerto do Tony Carreira?Were you able to get tickets for Tony Carreira’s concert?
• Eu não consegui comprar fraldas porque a loja estava fechadaI didn’t manage to buy diapers(nappies) because the shop was closed

Similarly, here are some examples of conseguir expressing a sense of achievement:

• Tu consegues, Nuno!You can do it, Nuno!
• Eu consegui passar o meu exameI managed to pass my exam Slow audio Play audio
• O meu colega de trabalho conseguiu uma promoçãoMy coworker got a promotion Slow audio Play audio

🔄 When Are Poder and Conseguir Interchangeable?

Usually, they’re not. However, there are some contexts in which poder can be used in place of conseguir. (Generally, the reverse is not true, though.) As we mentioned earlier, sometimes poder adds a subtle layer of politeness to a request. Poder may also fit if you include the reason / condition in the sentence. For example:

• Eu posso comer maçãs porque tenho dentesI can eat apples because I have teeth
• Eu consigo comer maçãs porque tenho dentesI can eat apples because I have teeth

Both sentences mean the same thing: I am able to eat apples / I can manage to do so, because of the condition of having teeth to chew. In a sense, the condition of “having teeth” physically “allows” you to be able to eat, so both verbs mean the same thing here.
Here’s another example in which either verb is correct:

• Tu podes comprar roupa com esse dinheiroYou(sing.,inf.) can buy clothes with that money
• Tu consegues comprar roupa com esse dinheiroYou(sing.,inf.) can buy clothes with that money

However, if the reason / condition was specific to rules or permission, you would only want to use poder. For example, conseguir wouldn’t fit in this context:

• Eu posso comer maçãs porque não é contra as regrasI can eat apples because it's not against the rules

📝 Recap: The Difference Between Poder vs. Conseguir

To summarize the distinction, let’s look at a phrase with both poder and conseguir:
Podes entrar no escritório mas não sei se vais conseguir roubar os ficheiros!You can enter the office, but I don’t know if you'll be able to steal the files!
Here, there are no restrictions to entering the office (you may enter / are allowed to enter), but it is doubtful whether you will manage to steal the files. This could imply that you would surely be caught, or that the files are hidden or locked away, making it difficult to succeed.
So, once again:

• poderto be allowed to, may, can Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine – related to permission, politeness
• conseguirto manage to, get, achieve, can Slow audio Play audio Verb – related to ability

These guidelines should help you in most contexts, but keep in mind that language is complicated and it won’t always be perfectly clearcut! As always, getting more experience with Portuguese over time will help you become more comfortable using poder vs conseguir.