No. 3,130 in French

pouvaient

"Could" or "were able to" (imperfect tense of "pouvoir").

In a sentence

Les enfants pouvaient jouer dehors malgré le froid.
The children could play outside despite the cold.
The word 'pouvaient' here is used to express the possibility or ability of the children to play outside in the past tense, indicating an ability granted or allowed.
Ils pouvaient choisir entre plusieurs options pour le projet.
They could choose between several options for the project.
In this context, 'pouvaient' refers to the ability or option available to choose among various choices for their project, expressed in the past tense.
Il semblait qu'ils pouvaient résoudre le problème rapidement.
It seemed that they could solve the problem quickly.
The term 'pouvaient' in this sentence implies a capability or perceived possibility of solving the problem efficiently, provided in the past tense.

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