Spanish Word of the Day Archive
Wednesday June 4, 2008
incapaz, adjective:
incapable
You can translate some Spanish words by an English word which sounds similar, but the English word might be more formal or stilted than the Spanish. Incapaz is such a word. When incapaz is used to describe someone, without a following verb, incompetent is a better translation than incapable.
obtuso e incapaz
stupid and incompetent
Están dirigidos por gente incapaz.
They’re managed by incompetent people.
When you use incapaz with a following verb, you can translate it as incapable, but there are usually less formal ways of translating it, as in the next examples.
Soy incapaz de escribir una novela.
I’m incapable of writing a novel, I could never write a novel.
incapaz de soportar la dureza de la vida
unable to bear the harsh life
Content By
© HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2006. All rights reserved.