This is the 14011th most frequent Polish word.
potrafiłem
"I was able to" or "I managed to."
In this sentence, "potrafiłem" denotes a skill or ability that I possessed in the past, specifically the capability to play the piano.
Kiedy byłem dzieckiem, potrafiłem grać na pianinie.
When I was a child, I was able to play the piano.
Here, "potrafiłem" is used to indicate an inability to perform a specific challenging task in the past.
Nie potrafiłem rozwiązać tego trudnego zadania matematycznego.
I couldn't solve this difficult math problem.
In this context, "potrafiłem" expresses a past ability to recognize melodies with minimal input.