incapability
53 Expressing capability and incapability
This chapter examines the ways in which the concepts of capability and incapability
are expressed in Spanish, and it considers also learned abilities.53.1 Enquiring and making statements about capability
or incapability
53.1.1 Poder+ infinitive
To enquire and make statements about capability, or incapability, as in ‘Can you do
it?’/‘Are you able to do it?’, ‘I cannot do it’/‘I am unable to do it’, Spanish normally uses
a construction with poder, ‘to be able to’, ‘can’, plus infinitive. In the examples below,
poder indicates physical or mental ability, but the same construction is used to express
other functions, for example possibility, permission, requests. 21.1 (p. 99);^48 (p. 282);^54 (p. 314); 68.1.4 (p. 382)
¿Puedes hacerlo?
Can you do it?
Claro que puedo hacerlo.
Of course I can do it.¿Podéis alcanzar aquella rama?
Can you reach that branch?No podemos alcanzarla.
We cannot reach it.No puedo imaginármelo.
I can’t imagine it.
¿Podrías traducirlo?
Could you (would you be able to) translate it?Note that in positive sentences, the preterite of poder expresses the idea of ‘managing
to’.Después de muchos intentos, pude arreglarlo.
After many attempts, I managed to repair it.