Is the Usual Translation of  Sí, Se Puede  Accurate?

Is "Yes, we can" an accurate translation? Yes and no.

Since there's no plural verb nor a first-person verb in that sentence, the typical way of saying "we can" would be podemos, from the verb  poder.

So "Yes, we can" is not a literal translation of  sí, se puede. In fact, we do not have a good literal translation of the phrase.  Sí  clearly means "yes," but  se puede  is problematic. "It can" comes close to its literal meaning but leaves out the vague sense of emphasis and intention that  se  provides here.

So just what does  se puede  mean? Out of context, it would be translated loosely as "it can be done." But context matters, and as part of a group chant, the translation of "yes, we can" is entirely appropriate.  Se puede  is a phrase of empowerment (puede  is a close cousin of  el poder, a noun meaning "power"), and "we can" conveys that thought well even if not a literal equivalent.