Inklingo

How to Say "unable" in Spanish

The Spanish word for “unable” is “incapaz” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1
AdjectiveB1
cannot do something
A small cartoon bear cub sitting next to a pile of wooden blocks, looking frustrated because the single block tower he tried to build has immediately collapsed, illustrating a lack of building ability.

Examples

Soy incapaz de concentrarme con tanto ruido.

I am unable to concentrate with so much noise.

Ella era incapaz de mentir, siempre decía la verdad.

She was incapable of lying; she always told the truth.

El sistema se demostró incapaz de manejar la demanda.

The system proved incapable of handling the demand.

Using 'de' after incapaz

When you want to say what someone is unable to do, you must always follow 'incapaz' with the preposition 'de' and then the action word (infinitive): 'incapaz de cocinar'.

Forgetting the preposition

Mistake: “Soy incapaz hacer esto.”

Correction: Soy incapaz **de** hacer esto. (Always include 'de' before the action.)

Related Translations

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