Able vs Competent

Quand utiliser chacun en anglais, avec le sens, le registre et des exemples.

Able

Top 1000 (très courant)A2adjective

Competent

Top 2000 (courant)C1adjective
Le plus courant: Able
 AbleCompetent
Prononciation🇬🇧 /["/ˈeɪbl/","/ˈeɪblə(r)/","/ˈeɪblɪst/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈeɪbl/","/ˈeɪblər/","/ˈeɪblɪst/"]/🇬🇧 /["/ˈkɒmpɪtənt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈkɑːmpɪtənt/"]/
SensHaving the skill, power, or opportunity to do something.Able to do something well
ExempleShe is able to speak three languages.She is a competent lawyer who always wins her cases.
RegistreNeutreNeutre
FréquenceTop 1000 (très courant)Top 2000 (courant)
Niveau CEFRA2C1
Nature grammaticaleadjectiveadjective
Collocationsbe, feel, prove, fully, perfectly, quite, be, seem, extremely, fairly, verybe, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, in, be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, in
Antonymesunable, incapableincompetent, inept, unqualified
Erreurs fréquentesConfused with 'capable' — they are similar but not interchangeable., Using 'able' without 'to' when following it with a verb., Incorrectly using 'able' with a past event.'Competency' is confused with 'competence' despite the latter being more commonly used., Using 'competent' as a noun instead of an adjective., Confusing 'competent' with 'complacent', which means self-satisfied.
Notes d'usageUse 'able' to express capability in a neutral context. It’s appropriate in both spoken and written English but avoid using it in overly formal situations.Use 'competent' to describe someone who can perform a task effectively. It's appropriate in professional or academic contexts, but may sound too formal in casual conversations.

Questions fréquentes : Able vs Competent

Quelle est la différence entre Able et Competent ?

Able: Having the skill, power, or opportunity to do something. Competent: Able to do something well

Lequel est le plus courant : Able et Competent ?

Able est le plus courant dans l'anglais de tous les jours.

Able et Competent sont-ils au même niveau CEFR ?

Able: A2, Competent: C1 sur l'échelle CEFR.

Puis-je utiliser Able et Competent de façon interchangeable ?

Pas toujours. Able et Competent sont proches et se recoupent parfois, mais elles diffèrent par le registre, la fréquence et l'usage, donc remplacer l'une par l'autre peut changer le sens ou le ton. Regarde les différences ci-dessus avant de substituer.

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