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Potential Constructions With The Verb "To Do" - کَوٌل

The combination of a potential form of the verb "to do" - کَوٌل + the present subjunctive form of a verb with additional words can be translated into English as the combination of the modal verb "can" + a verb similar to the potential form of the verb. In Pashto, this construction has the following forms: present, past perfective, future perfective, past imperfective, present subjunctive and conditional desirable.

Present Form

"I can swim" - زٌه کَوٌلای شٌم لامْبُو وُوَهٌم.

"I cannot swim" - زٌه نَه شٌم کَوٌلای لامْبُو وُوَهٌم.

Past Imperfective Form

تا کَوٌلای شو چې تېرَه اُووٌنۍ هَرَه وْرَڂ مُوږ تَه راشې.

"You could come to us every day last week."

تا نَه شو کَوٌلای چی تېرَه اُووٌنۍ هَرَه وْرَڂ مُوږ تَه راشې.

"You could not come to us every day last week."

Past Perfective Form

"I could finish this work." - ما وُکَوٌلای شُو دا کار پای تَه وُرَسوٌم.

"I could not finish this work." - ما وُ نَه کَوٌلای شُو دا کار پای تَه وُرَسوٌم.

Future Perfective Form

"Maybe I will be able to go there" - اِمْکان لَرى چې زٌه بٌه وُکَوٌلای شٌم هَلْتَه وْلار شٌم.

"I will not be able to go there" - زٌه بٌه وُ نه کَوٌلای شٌم هَلْتَه وْلار شٌم.

Present Subjunctive Form

دَی غْواړى چی زٌه وُکَوٌلای شٌم پٌه راتْلُونْکې میاشْت کی افْغانِسْتان تَه وْلاړ شٌم.

"He wants me to be able to go to Afghanistan next month."

دَی َانْدیښْمَن دۍ که زٌه وُنَه کړای شٌم په راتْلُونْکې میاشْت کی افْغانِسْتان تَه وْلاړ شٌم.

"He is worried that I cannot go to Afghanistan next month."

Conditional Desirable Form

کَه چیری کَوٌلای یی شٌوای چی زْما سَرَه یو ڂای راشى ، نُو راغٌلای بٌه وای .

"If he could come with me, he would come."

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