Capable in Different Languages
Discover 'Capable' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'capable' is a powerful expression of human potential. It signifies the ability to accomplish something, whether it's mastering a new skill, overcoming a challenge, or making a positive impact on the world. This word has been a part of our collective human narrative for centuries, inspiring us to reach beyond our limits and achieve greatness.
Culturally, the concept of capability is woven into the fabric of many societies, symbolizing strength, resilience, and self-sufficiency. From ancient philosophical texts to modern self-help books, the idea of being capable has been a source of motivation and guidance for people all over the world.
Understanding the translation of 'capable' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures view human potential. For example, in Spanish, 'capable' is 'capaz', while in French, it's 'capable'. These translations not only help us communicate with a global audience, but also deepen our appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture.
In the following list, you'll find the translations of 'capable' in over 20 languages, along with some interesting historical contexts and cultural significance behind each translation.
Capable
Capable in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | bekwaam | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "bekwaam" can also refer to a "capable farm" or to "being capable of being sued" | |||
| Amharic | የሚችል | ||
| The word 'የሚችል' ('capable') in Amharic can also mean 'possible' or 'feasible'. | |||
| Hausa | iya | ||
| The Hausa word "iya" also means "to be able to" or "to have the power to". | |||
| Igbo | ike | ||
| The Igbo word "ike" also means "strength, power, or ability." | |||
| Malagasy | mahavita | ||
| Mahavita is also a Malagasy name commonly given to boys and is derived from the word 'maha' meaning 'great' or 'abundant', and 'vita' meaning 'life' or 'alive'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wokhoza | ||
| The Nyanja word "wokhoza" is a homonym, also meaning "to be able to cook or prepare relish". | |||
| Shona | kugona | ||
| The Shona word "kugona" also has alternate meanings like "to be heavy", "to weigh down", and "to be burdened." | |||
| Somali | karti leh | ||
| The word "karti leh" can also refer to a person who is skilled or competent. | |||
| Sesotho | bokhoni | ||
| Bokhoni can also refer to a person who has special skills or knowledge in a particular area | |||
| Swahili | wenye uwezo | ||
| WENYE is a plural prefix for personal classes 1 and 2, while UWEZO means "ability". | |||
| Xhosa | onako | ||
| The word "onako" also means "strong" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | agbara | ||
| The word 'agbara' literally translates to 'power' in English, indicating the inherent ability to perform a task. | |||
| Zulu | uyakwazi | ||
| 'Uyakwazi' shares a root with 'kwazi', meaning 'nearly', and 'ukwazisa', meaning 'to cause one to be capable'. | |||
| Bambara | sékola | ||
| Ewe | ate ŋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | arabishoboye | ||
| Lingala | kokoka | ||
| Luganda | obusobozi | ||
| Sepedi | bokgoni | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɛtumi | ||
Capable in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قادر | ||
| "قادر" (capable) comes from the root "ق د ر" (ability), which also gives us words like "قدر" (power) and "قدرة" (capacity). | |||
| Hebrew | בעל יכולת | ||
| בעל יכולת comes from the root ע.ב.ל which also means "to do" | |||
| Pashto | وړ | ||
| وړ can also mean 'able to' or 'qualified' with an infinitive, like 'وړ ووې' ('able to go'). | |||
| Arabic | قادر | ||
| "قادر" (capable) comes from the root "ق د ر" (ability), which also gives us words like "قدر" (power) and "قدرة" (capacity). | |||
Capable in Western European Languages
| Albanian | të aftë | ||
| The word "të aftë" is derived from the Latin word "aptus", meaning "fit" or "suitable". | |||
| Basque | gai | ||
| The word "gai" in Basque also refers to places or things that are suitable or appropriate for a specific purpose. | |||
| Catalan | capaç | ||
| Catalan "capaç" comes from the Latin "capax," meaning "spacious" or "capacious". | |||
| Croatian | sposoban | ||
| The word 'sposoban' is also used as an alternative term for 'adept' in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | i stand til at | ||
| The Danish word "i stand til at" originated from the German word "stehen" which means "to stand" or "to be able to". Over time, the meaning of the word changed to "capable" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | bekwaam | ||
| "Bekwaam" is derived from the Middle Dutch "bequaem", meaning "comfortable" or "convenient". | |||
| English | capable | ||
| "Capable" means "able to do or achieve something" and derives from the Latin "capax," meaning "able to hold." | |||
| French | capable | ||
| The French word "capable" comes from the Latin word "capax", meaning "roomy" or "spacious". | |||
| Frisian | steat | ||
| The word "steat" is also said as "set" by old people | |||
| Galician | capaz | ||
| The Galician word "capaz" also means "able", "fit", and "able to do". | |||
| German | fähig | ||
| "Fähig" is derived from the Middle High German "væhec" and originally meant "acceptable, agreeable" or "appropriate, adequate", and it is cognate with the English "fee". | |||
| Icelandic | fær | ||
| 'Fær' is derived from the Old Norse word 'fœr', which means 'sound', 'able', or 'capable'. | |||
| Irish | ábalta | ||
| The word 'ábalta' originated from 'áil' meaning fit, and can also mean 'strong, able, sound, healthy' in Irish. | |||
| Italian | capace | ||
| The Italian word "capace" derives from the Latin word "capere" which means "to take, hold, or contain". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fäeg | ||
| "Fäeg" originates from the Old High German word "fagan", which means "apt, suitable, appropriate". | |||
| Maltese | kapaċi | ||
| The Maltese word "kapaċi" (capable) shares the same root with its English cognate "capacity."} | |||
| Norwegian | i stand | ||
| " Jeg står i det" is also a Norwegian idiom meaning "I can handle it" or "I'm up for the challenge." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | capaz | ||
| The word "capaz" comes from the Latin word "capax", which means "roomy" or "spacious." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | comasach | ||
| "Comasach" (capable) can also mean "equal" or "competent" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | capaz | ||
| The word "capaz" comes from the Latin "capere," meaning "to take, hold, or contain." | |||
| Swedish | kapabel | ||
| Swedish 'kapabel' is derived from Latin 'capabilis', which originally meant 'able to hold', hence 'capable'. | |||
| Welsh | galluog | ||
| The word 'galluog' has an etymology rooted in the Proto-Celtic root *gal-nō, meaning 'power' or 'ability'. | |||
Capable in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | здольны | ||
| The word "здольны" in Belarusian also means "capable of moving in a certain direction". | |||
| Bosnian | sposoban | ||
| The word 'sposoban' can also mean 'suitable' or 'appropriate' in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | способен | ||
| The word 'способен' also means 'talented' or 'gifted' in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | schopný | ||
| The word "schopný" can also mean "able" or "competent". | |||
| Estonian | võimeline | ||
| "Võimeline" can also refer to a "possibility" or "potentiality" in addition to its primary meaning of "capable". | |||
| Finnish | pystyy | ||
| Derived from the verb –pystymä— ("to be able") and the suffix –yy—, which indicates the ability or capability of something. | |||
| Hungarian | képes | ||
| The Hungarian word "képes" can mean both "capable" or "illustrated"/"in possession of images". | |||
| Latvian | spējīgs | ||
| "Spējīgs" in Latvian comes from the word "spēks," meaning "strength," and is also related to the verb "spēt," meaning "to manage" or "to be able to." | |||
| Lithuanian | sugeba | ||
| The word "sugeba" is related to the word "sugus", which means "good". Therefore, "sugeba" can also be interpreted as "goodly". | |||
| Macedonian | способен | ||
| The Slavic verb "способь" (from which "способен" is derived) can be used in contexts referring to "to be able to" but also "to make able to". | |||
| Polish | zdolny | ||
| The word "zdolny" in Polish can also mean "talented" or "gifted". | |||
| Romanian | capabil | ||
| From Latin "habilis" (dexterous) or "capabilis" (roomy), it also means "convenient" or "comfortable" in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | способный | ||
| The word "способный" derives from the Old Slavonic word "съпобити", meaning "to help, assist", and can also mean "talented, able"} | |||
| Serbian | способан | ||
| In Serbian, "способан" also means "suitable" or "appropriate". | |||
| Slovak | schopný | ||
| The Slavic root "spop" in "schopný" also gives rise to the word "spôsob" or "way" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | sposoben | ||
| The word "sposoben" can also mean "suitable" or "appropriate" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | здатний | ||
| The word "здатний" in Ukrainian comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "съдъ", meaning "court" or "judgment"} | |||
Capable in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সক্ষম | ||
| সক্ষম shares the Proto-Indo-European root *seĝ- with words like 'sagacious' and 'sage,' and also has a second meaning 'companion.' | |||
| Gujarati | સક્ષમ | ||
| The word "સક્ષમ" in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word "सक्षम" which also means "capable" or "competent". | |||
| Hindi | सक्षम | ||
| The word "सक्षम" is derived from the Sanskrit root "śak" meaning "to be able" and "ma" meaning "to measure". | |||
| Kannada | ಸಮರ್ಥ | ||
| The word 'samartha' in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'samartha' which means 'able', 'capable', or 'competent'. | |||
| Malayalam | കഴിവുള്ള | ||
| "കഴിവുള്ള" in Malayalam can also mean "obedient," "capable of doing something" or "skillful." | |||
| Marathi | सक्षम | ||
| The Marathi word "सक्षम (sakshama)" is derived from the Sanskrit word "समर्थ (samartha)", meaning "able" or "powerful". It can also refer to someone who is qualified or competent in a particular field. | |||
| Nepali | सक्षम | ||
| "सक्षम" derives from Sanskrit, where it also means "competent" or "authoritative." | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਬਲ | ||
| The word 'ਕਾਬਲ' has the same etymology as its Persian equivalent, 'قابلیت', and can mean 'ability' as well. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | හැකියාව | ||
| In Sinhala, "හැකියාව" not only means "capable" but also refers to "ability" or "competence." | |||
| Tamil | திறன் | ||
| The Tamil word "திறன்" is not only used in the sense of "capability" but also refers to the "key" that opens up. | |||
| Telugu | సామర్థ్యం | ||
| Urdu | قابل | ||
| The word "قابل" (capable) in Urdu also has connotations of "deserving" and "worthy". | |||
Capable in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 能 | ||
| The term 能 (néng) can also refer to ability, potential, or competence. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 能 | ||
| In ancient Chinese, "能" meant "tooth" and was used in phrases like "能齿相依" (interdependent teeth) to describe close relationships. | |||
| Japanese | 有能 | ||
| 有能 can also mean "promising" or "talented" as well as expressing a sense of abundance. | |||
| Korean | 유능한 | ||
| 유능한 has Chinese origins, with 유 meaning 'have,' 能 meaning 'ability,' and 한 meaning 'a person.' | |||
| Mongolian | чадвартай | ||
| The word "чадвартай" is derived from the root "чад" (to be able, to be capable), and the suffix "-вар" (forming adjectives). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စွမ်းရည် | ||
Capable in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mampu | ||
| "Mampu" is derived from the Sanskrit word "mapu" meaning "to be able". | |||
| Javanese | saged | ||
| The word 'saged' has a root word 'sage' which means 'can', and 'd' suffix which indicates an ongoing action. | |||
| Khmer | មានសមត្ថភាព | ||
| The term "មានសមត្ថភាព" can also refer to competence, ability, or having the necessary skills or qualifications. | |||
| Lao | ມີຄວາມສາມາດ | ||
| Malay | berkebolehan | ||
| Berkebolehan can also mean 'able to' or 'skilled at' something. | |||
| Thai | มีความสามารถ | ||
| The word "มีความสามารถ" can also mean "talented" or "skilled". | |||
| Vietnamese | có khả năng | ||
| The word "có khả năng" can also mean "able" or "competent". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | may kakayahan | ||
Capable in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bacarıqlı | ||
| The word "bacarıqlı" is derived from the Persian word "bāzār" (بازار), which means "ability" or "skill". | |||
| Kazakh | қабілетті | ||
| Қабілетті means „capable“ and is derived from the Arabic word „qābil“, meaning „accepting“ or „capable“. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жөндөмдүү | ||
| The word "жөндөмдүү" can also mean "suitable" or "appropriate". | |||
| Tajik | қодир | ||
| "Қодир" (capable) is derived from the Persian word "qādir" (able). | |||
| Turkmen | ukyply | ||
| Uzbek | qobiliyatli | ||
| The word "qobiliyatli" originally meant "able to do something" and is related to the word "qobil" which means "able, capable". | |||
| Uyghur | ئىقتىدارلىق | ||
Capable in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hiki | ||
| The word "hiki" can also mean "skill" or "art". | |||
| Maori | āhei | ||
| The word "āhei" in Māori also means "to be able to" or "to have the ability to". | |||
| Samoan | mafai | ||
| The Samoan word mafai means capable, able, or can, and comes from the proto-Oceanic word *mafai, meaning power or strength. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | may kakayahan | ||
| "Kakayahan" comes from the root words "kaya" (can) and "an" (possession), thus "capable". | |||
Capable in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kapasa | ||
| Guarani | katupyry | ||
Capable in International Languages
| Esperanto | kapabla | ||
| Esperanto's "kapabla" likely comes from Polish "kapać" (to drip), but might be related to Italian "capace" (capacious) or Japanese "kabu" (stock). | |||
| Latin | strenuis | ||
| Strenuis, a Latin term, also signifies 'vigorous', 'energetic', or 'spirited' in addition to 'capable'. | |||
Capable in Others Languages
| Greek | ικανός | ||
| "Ικανός" has a secondary, archaic meaning of "great" which is preserved in compound words such as "ικανοποιώ" ("I satisfy") and "αριστοκρατικός" ("aristocratic"). | |||
| Hmong | muaj peev xwm | ||
| The word "muaj peev xwm" can also mean "to be able to carry out a task with ease". | |||
| Kurdish | zane | ||
| The word "zane" in Kurdish can also mean "skillful" or "qualified". | |||
| Turkish | yetenekli | ||
| In Turkish, "yetenekli" also means "talented" or "gifted". | |||
| Xhosa | onako | ||
| The word "onako" also means "strong" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | טויגעוודיק | ||
| The Yiddish word "טויגעוודיק" is related to the German verb "taugen" (to be good), and also refers to a person or object's worth or reliability in general. | |||
| Zulu | uyakwazi | ||
| 'Uyakwazi' shares a root with 'kwazi', meaning 'nearly', and 'ukwazisa', meaning 'to cause one to be capable'. | |||
| Assamese | সক্ষম | ||
| Aymara | kapasa | ||
| Bhojpuri | काबिल | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުޅަދާނަކަން | ||
| Dogri | समर्थ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | may kakayahan | ||
| Guarani | katupyry | ||
| Ilocano | addaan ti kabaelan | ||
| Krio | ebul | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بە توانا | ||
| Maithili | सक्षम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯧꯕ ꯉꯃꯕꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯤꯛ ꯂꯩꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thei | ||
| Oromo | danda'uu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସକ୍ଷମ | ||
| Quechua | qapaq | ||
| Sanskrit | सक्षम | ||
| Tatar | сәләтле | ||
| Tigrinya | ተኽእሎ ዘለዎ | ||
| Tsonga | vuswikoti | ||