Quick answer
Pode is present; pôde is the completed past and carries a circumflex.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
pode
can, present
Use pode for the present-tense form of poder.
pôde
could, completed past
Use pôde for the third-person preterite form of poder.
How to choose
- pode: Choose pode if the sentence points to the present-tense form of poder.
- pôde: Choose pôde if the sentence points to the third-person preterite form of poder.
Examples
Hoje ela pode participar.
Today she can participate.
Ontem ela não pôde participar.
Yesterday she could not participate.
Common trap
Time words help, but the accent is still required: hoje pode, ontem pôde.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with pode, then once with pôde. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Learn Brazilian Portuguese step by step
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