# he wasn't able to play



## Alxmrphi

Here is the context:

Nicolo Paganini was invited to play for a Prince of Austria and he arrived and played a few concerts etc, then his illness came back and he was very ill, and when the time came for him to play infront of the Prince, he wasn't able to (due to health reasons)

I translated a sentence as : Non riusciva di suonare perché per motivi di salute

My Italian teacher told me that I shouldn't use this and I should use "*essere capace di*"

After showing this to another Italian he told me that this wasn't right because "essere capace di" means "to have the knowledge to be able to" - and even if Paganini was ill, he still had the knowledge to play the violin, the illness didn't make him forget how to play and therefore "essere capace di" isn't suitable in this sentence.

My question is:

Do you agree with the summary of what "essere capace di" means and do you agree/disagree that "non riusciva di suonare perché per motivi di salute" is wrong? Do you think "Non era capace di suonare... etc" is better?

I'd just like general views on what you think is best to use with the context to translate this sentence "*He wasn't able to play because of health reasons*".


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## Carthusian cat

Alex_Murphy said:


> My question is:
> 
> Do you agree with the summary of what "essere capace di" means and do you agree/disagree that "non riusciva a suonare perché per motivi di salute" is wrong? Do you think "Non era capace di suonare... etc" is better?
> 
> I'd just like general views on what you think is best to use with the context to translate this sentence "*He wasn't able to play because of health reasons*".


 
You were close.. just a few corrections.


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## Poianone

Alex_Murphy said:


> Here is the context:
> 
> Nicolo Paganini was invited to play for a Prince of Austria and he arrived and played a few concerts etc, then his illness came back and he was very ill, and when the time came for him to play infront of the Prince, he wasn't able to (due to health reasons)
> 
> I translated a sentence as : Non riusciva *a* suonare perché per motivi di salute
> 
> My Italian teacher told me that I shouldn't use this and I should use "*essere capace di*"
> be careful!
> _Non riuscire *a*_
> _Essere capace *di*_
> After showing this to another Italian he told me that this wasn't right because "essere capace di" means "to have the knowledge to be able to " - and even if Paganini was ill, he still had the knowledge to play the violin, the illness didn't make him forget how to play and therefore "essere capace di" isn't suitable in this sentence.
> 
> My question is:
> 
> Do you agree with the summary of what "essere capace di" means and do you agree/disagree that "non riusciva a suonare perché per motivi di salute" is wrong? Do you think "Non era capace di suonare... etc" is better?
> 
> I'd just like general views on what you think is best to use with the context to translate this sentence "*He wasn't able to play because of health reasons*".


Alex, I disagree with you teacher. It is:
_Non riusciva a suonare... (or)_
_Non era in grado di suonare..._
_... perchè era malato (or)_
_... per problemi di salute_


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## Necsus

Alex, in my opinion here the right expression is neither "non *riuscì a* suonare" nor "non fu capace di suonare", but "non fu in grado di suonare".

Ops. Sorry for crossing...


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## Alxmrphi

Necsus said:


> Alex, in my opinion here the right expression is neither "non *riuscì a* suonare" nor "non fu capace di suonare", but "non fu in grado di suonare".
> 
> Ops. Sorry for crossing...



Ok so you suggest "essere in grado di" -
By the way is "era" wrong, I thought when describing in the past, the imperfect is used? No big deal anyway, I don't want to stray from the main point.
What does "essere in grado di" mean, I mean, what aspects about it make it right here where "essere capace di" and "riuscire a" are both wrong?


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## Einstein

Necsus has made an important point. The verb "potere" in English exists only as can (può) and could (poteva, potesse, potrebbe). For all other forms we tend to use "be able":
to be able = potere
will be able = potrà
was able = poté, riusci', fu in grado.

So "was able" should not generally be translated with an imperfect.

Is it wrong here to say *Non poté suonare*?


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## Alxmrphi

Nobody has mentioned potere though? This is about riuscire / essere capace / in grado ?


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## Alxmrphi

Ok, I am adding a poll to the thread, I'd like to ask that only Italians answer it.


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## Einstein

I think _you've_ mentioned potere, because one of the translations of "be able" is potere. There is a certain overlap and interchange between these verbs. I said "non poté" to mean it wasn't possible on that occasion.


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## Necsus

Alex_Murphy said:
			
		

> Ok so you suggest "essere in grado di" -
> By the way is "era" wrong, I thought when describing in the past, the imperfect is used? No big deal anyway, I don't want to stray from the main point.
> What does "essere in grado di" mean, I mean, what aspects about it make it right here where "essere capace di" and "riuscire a" are both wrong?


I suggest, yes, I didn't say that they are wrong...  
In my opinion "essere capace di" here means chiefly to have the abilty, the capability to play music, but always, not at only that precise moment; and 'riuscire' it's more to be able to do something after trying to obtain it. But believe me, it's really a question of nuance. See also this thread, it could be useful.
Anyway Einstein is right: 'to be able' means also 'potere' and it could be used in your sentence, Alex. From Hazon:
*3* _to be able to_, essere capace, essere in grado di: _I'll never be - to do this_, non sarò mai capace, non potrò mai fare ciò; _he has never been - to drive_, non ha mai saputo guidare; _not being - to go, I rang them up_, non *potendo* andare, telefonai.


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## Alxmrphi

Ok, so the examples that fit my example that are ok for me to use are:

Non era/fu in grado di suonare per motivi di salute
Non poteva/poté a suonare per motivi di salute.
Non riusciva/riuscì a suonare per motivi di salute

Non era capace di suonare per motivi di salute (wrong nuance, he still knows how to play the violin)

Right?


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## Necsus

Alex_Murphy said:
			
		

> Ok, so the examples that fit my example that are ok for me to use are:
> 
> Non era/ fu in grado di suonare per motivi di salute
> Non poteva/ poté a suonare per motivi di salute.
> Non riusciva/ riuscì a suonare per motivi di salute
> Non era fu capace di suonare per motivi di salute (wrong nuance, he still knows how to play the violin) wrong nuance, not wrong expression...
> Right?


If you say "when the time came" you have to use simple past, not imperfect.


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## Alxmrphi

Ah, because it's restricted to one activity, the following action, and imperfect is use for "over periods of time" ? But "when the time came.... <one action>" needs just passato prossimo/remoto?

I understand.


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## Alxmrphi

Necsus, I said wrong nuance, I didn't say "wrong expression" with essere capace di? - I'm lost?


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## Necsus

Alex_Murphy said:
			
		

> Necsus, I said wrong nuance, I didn't say "wrong expression" with essere capace di? - I'm lost?


You've said 'wrong nuance', yes..! I meant that if it's only a different nuance I wouldn't put the cross...  
Simple past / imperfect is a real thorny question to explain... You already discussed it here.


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## Alxmrphi

Well it means "to be able"  - it just doesn't make sense in my example, that's what I meant, it's already been agreed on earlier in the post, I'm confused by what you mean, do you mean it's not the same expression?


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## Necsus

No, sorry, Alex, I simply would prevent that it seems we are saying that it's wrong to translate "to be able" as "essere capace"...  But maybe this is obvious, you say...


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## Alxmrphi

Yeah, I know "essere capace di" means "to be able" - I just mean, as agreed, with the context given, it's wrong, agree?


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## kdl77

Alex_Murphy said:


> Yeah, I know "essere capace di" means "to be able" - I just mean, as agreed, with the context given, it's wrong, agree?


 
To me, it's wrong, yes. In this context, to be able to = essere in grado di / riuscire a


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## Alxmrphi

Thank you! 
What are your views on using potere, kdl77?


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## kdl77

"Potere" is a difficult verb, when you are studying Italian-English, because there in NOT a specific translation: it always depends on the context.
In your sentence, you can use "non potè suonare" or "non riuscì a suonare", both translating "to be able to". 
Io posso = I can, I could, I may, I am able to, I am capable of, I know how to... 
Too much possibilities, indeed!


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## Alxmrphi

Ah, but in the context of Paganini not being able to give a performance due to illness, "non poté suonare" fits, it's just a bit vague, and something like "fu in grado di" is more specific to "not being able" ?


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## kdl77

Alex_Murphy said:


> Ah, but in the context of Paganini not being able to give a performance due to illness, "non poté suonare" fits, it's just a bit vague, and something like "fu in grado di" is more specific to "not being able" ?


 
Your explanation is exactly what I was trying to say!   Sorry but my English is very bad... 
If I were you, I would write: Paganinì non riuscì a suonare / non fu in grado di suonare.


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## MünchnerFax

My classification:

1) Non riuscì a suonare (gains my vote in the poll  )
2) Non fu in grado di suonare
3) Non fu capace di suonare
4) Non poté suonare


Going beyond the nuances, I'd treat 1, 2 and 3 as interchangeable; 4 makes me think of an extern obstacle (_non poté suonare perché non arrivò in tempo alla cerimonia_) rather than his momentaneous lack of capability. Therefore I wouldn't use it in this context.


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## Alxmrphi

Ok, and taking the nuances into account 1 + 2 are both winners?
(absolute last confirmation!)


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## kdl77

To me, yes


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## acerglenn

I don't know about essere in grado di, but if I had to choose between potere and riuscire, I would choose potere. I've always associated riuscire as both a) manage to and b) can/able to, but only if you made an attempt at doing it.

So:
non è riuscito a suonare... -- he tried playing, but just wasn't able to, just couldn't manage it.
non è potuto suonare... -- he couldn't play and he didn't try.


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## Necsus

acerglenn said:
			
		

> I don't know about essere in grado di, but if I had to choose between potere and riuscire, I would choose potere. I've always associated riuscire as both a) manage to and b) can/able to, but only if you made an attempt at doing it.
> 
> So:
> non è riuscito a suonare... -- he tried playing, but just wasn't able to, just couldn't manage it.
> non *ha* potuto suonare... -- he couldn't play and he didn't try.


I agree. Just a tiny correction. 
(Tim, how about it?)


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## Alxmrphi

Necsus said:
			
		

> Alex, in my opinion here the right expression is neither "non *riuscì a* suonare" nor "non fu capace di suonare", but "non fu in grado di suonare".



But you were the one who *suggested* essere in grado di Necsus?? But then if you agree with the post you quoted, you agree that you're unsure about it?


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## Necsus

Alex_Murphy said:
			
		

> But you were the one who *suggested* essere in grado di Necsus?? But then if you agree with the post you quoted, you agree that you're unsure about it?


No, Alex, I keep on suggesting you "non essere in grado di" for your sentence, don't worry, but acerglenn said "I don't know about essere in grado di, but if I had to choose between potere and riuscire, I would choose potere", and I agree his choice between these two verbs. Forgive me if I'm not so *able* to express my thought in English...


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## Einstein

By the way, Alex, a small point here: do you find it normal to say "to not be able" rather than "not to be able"? For negative infinitives I always put the "not" before the "to":
To be or not to be
I told him not to go

Doesn't that sound better?


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## Alxmrphi

Yeah, I agee with you, where did I put "not to be able" ?????


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## Einstein

In your poll you put "to not be able". This and your your question suggest that you *don't* agree with me! I'm saying it *should* be "not to be able"!


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