"Você pode fechar a porta?"

Translation: Can you close the door?

[verncook]

Could you shut the door, or, would you shut the door, would work perfectly well here as well.

[Alexs07]

agreed.

[Lahure]

Fechar - to close - to shut. I agree with you here. But Duo is using 'can you - você pode' - this is the present tense. The use of 'could, would' introduces a different verb form which implies the future tense.

Eu falarei - I will speak (talk). Eu comeria - I would eat.

[nyex]

true: "could you shut the door" would translate better to "você poderia fechar a porta?"; and "would you shut the door" to "você fecharia a porta?". they both have to do with the subjuntive.

both would sound more polite than "você pode fechar a porta?", but than the english one here "can you close the door" also have this somewhat agressive tone to it ;)

[Lahure]

Quite correct - subjunctive, not future. Thank you!

[clottedcream]

in English "can you close the door" = are you able to close the door.
Of course I'm able to but will I? Correct English would be "will you or would you close the door" though "could " is often used -perhaps incorrectly - instead.
However, one would use "can" if you don't know whether the person asked is able to - he or she might need a key, for example..
It is unclear to me, however, whether poder is as prescriptive as English can. Any guidance?

[Jbobiles]

Is it Okay if we politely say "Can you please close the door?"?