Can't vs Unable

Quando usar cada um em inglês, com significado, registro e exemplos.

Can't

Top 1000 (muito comum)

Unable

Top 2000 (comum) B1 adjective

Mais comum: Can't

	Can't	Unable
Pronúncia	🇬🇧 //kɑːnt// 🇺🇸 //kænt//	🇬🇧 /["/ʌnˈeɪbl/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ʌnˈeɪbl/"]/
Significado	Cannot; not able to do something.	not able to do something
Exemplo	I can't attend the meeting tomorrow.	I was unable to attend the meeting due to a family emergency.
Registro	Neutro	Neutro
Quão comum	Top 1000 (muito comum)	Top 2000 (comum)
Nível CEFR	-	B1
Classe gramatical		adjective
Colocações	can't help, can't wait, can't believe	appear, be, feel, completely, quite, totally, unwilling or unable
Antônimos	can, able	able, capable
Erros comuns	Confused with 'can' - remember 'can't' means unable., Omitting the apostrophe - always write 'can't', not 'cant'.	Confused with 'unable to' and 'not able to' — they mean the same but usage can vary., Using 'unable' without a following action verb., Misplacing adjectives — remember 'unable' always describes capability.
Notas de uso	Use in informal spoken or written contexts. It's considered casual and may not be appropriate for formal writing.	Use 'unable' in situations where someone or something lacks the ability to perform an action. It's appropriate in both spoken and written contexts, but avoid in very casual conversations.

Perguntas frequentes: Can't vs Unable

Qual é a diferença entre Can't e Unable?

Can't: Cannot; not able to do something. Unable: not able to do something

Qual é mais comum: Can't e Unable?

Can't é a mais comum no inglês do dia a dia.

Pode mostrar um exemplo de cada?

Can't: I can't attend the meeting tomorrow. Unable: I was unable to attend the meeting due to a family emergency.

Posso usar Can't e Unable de forma intercambiável?

Nem sempre. Can't e Unable são relacionadas e às vezes se sobrepõem, mas diferem em registro, frequência e uso, então trocar uma pela outra pode mudar o sentido ou o tom. Veja as diferenças acima antes de substituir.