Puede vs Puedes?

Question

Hola! I'm new to the site and my question is.. if I wanted to say "Can you start the washing machine?"

Would it be ¿Puedes empezar la lavadora? because in the translation on here it starts with "Puede" I thought I had translated it right, up until I checked..

Thank you!

Answer 1

Hola Starella.

Simple answer: The translator has given you the formal (usted) form of the verb "poder" in the indicative present "puede," whereas you have used the informal (tú) form of the verb "puedes." Both are correct as direct translations of your sentence.

More complex answer: Are you asking if someone has the ability to start the washing machine, or if they would be willing to do it? Unlike English, where "can" works equally well for either circumstance, I think "poder" in the indicative present would tend to be used more for the former in Spanish. It may be ok to use it in the conditional, but there are many other ways to make requests in Spanish that may be preferred to the "poder" options. I get confused by them all to be fair, but I'll throw a few out there and hopefully either someone more advanced, or a native speaker, can comment on their correctness / commonality. They are all conjugated to the second person familiar (tú).

¿Podrías empezar la lavadora? - Could you start the washing machine?

¿Quieres empezar la lavadora? - Do you want to start the washing machine?

¿Empiezas la lavadora, por favor? - Do you (will you please) start the washing machine?

Empieza la lavadora, por favor. - Please start the washing machine.

¿Empezarías la lavadora? - Could you start the washing machine?

Answer 2

Start is comenzar or empezar but when in English you start a machine, for example you start a car things are different.

Start a car is arrancar el auto and never empezar or comenzar.

Start the washing machine could be "prender" or " encender".

If not I could imagine what you are is "starting" or "beginning" a picture or an image of the washing machine . In short, if you want to translate "start" take into consideration that "empezar" or "comenzar" could be used if in English you can also use "begin" instead of "start".

Good answer! - Sassette, Jun 20, 2017

Answer 3

¿Puede iniciar ( empezar ) la lavadora ?

Can you start the washing machine ?

This is one of 4 ways that I found .Very interesting.

Answer 4

To give a quick summary of everything that has been stated here----

(1) You can't use empezar or comenzar. That's a different kind of start. As Polenta says,they mean "to begin" "Prender" or "encender" is the proper verb.

(2) "Can you?" can be stated in the formal manner, i.e. "¿Puede (usted)?"

or in the informal manner, i.e., ¿Puedes (tú)?

Therefore: Puede (usted) prender/encender la lavadora?

Or

Puedes (tú) prender/encender la lavadora?