ser quen

Galician

Etymology

From ser (to be) quen (who).

Verb

ser quen (first-person singular present son quen, first-person singular preterite fun quen, past participle sido quen)

  1. (transitive with de) to be able to
    Synonym: poder
    • 1934, Castelao, Os dous de sempre, page 127:
      […] os empregados non se deixan asoballar pola súa maldade, e o mesmo porteiro deprendeu a poñerlle cara de can. Somente Pedro é un manteiguiñas, incapaz de defenderse. A covardía do xefe cabalga na covardía de Pedro, para locí-las arroutadas que non é quen de descargar no lombo dos outros. Pedro sofre en silenzo; pero cóme-no as xenreiras, e non pode ollá-la cara daquel home sen desexarlle a morte.
      […] employees don't let him oppress them with his meanness, and even the doorman learnt to put an angry face for him. But Pedro is a poor thing, unable to defend himself. The boss' cowardice rides Pedro's, to show off the outbursts that he is incapable of discharging over other's shoulders. Pedro suffers in silence; but spite eats him, and he can't watch that man's face without wishing his death.
    • 2016, Malandrómeda (lyrics and music), “Chegar e encher”:
      Cando voltei, cheguei e enchín,
      choran os problemas e chaman por min;
      non sei moi ben se hoxe vou ser quen
      de pasar de lado como se non fora comigo.
      When I came back, and pulled it off at the first attempt [veni, vidi, vici]
      the troubles cry and call me;
      I'm not sure if today I'll be capable
      of passing by as if that's not me.
  2. (transitive with a) to be able to
    Synonym: poder

Conjugation

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