Questions & Answers about Posso lavorare adesso.
Why doesn't lavorare change its ending to match "I"? Shouldn't it be lavoro?
Because it follows posso, which is a modal (or "helper") verb. In Italian, when you use a modal verb like potere (to be able to / can), the action verb that comes immediately after it must stay in the infinitive (the dictionary form). Just like in English you say "I can work" rather than "I can I work", in Italian you say Posso lavorare.
Where is the word for "I" in this sentence?
In Italian, the subject pronoun io (I) is usually dropped because the verb itself already gives it away. The word posso only ever means "I can". You would only add io at the beginning (Io posso lavorare adesso) if you wanted to emphasize who can work—for example, "I can work now (even if you can't)."
I know the infinitive for "can" is potere. Why does the "I" form (posso) look so completely different?
Potere is a highly irregular verb, meaning it doesn't follow the normal pattern for verbs ending in -ere. The "I" form changes the stem entirely to become posso. Because it is one of the most common verbs in Italian, you will just need to memorize its forms!
Could I use ora instead of adesso in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely! Ora and adesso both mean "now" and are completely interchangeable in everyday conversation. Posso lavorare ora means exactly the same thing.
Learn Posso lavorare adesso and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free