can (know how to)

[Dymn]

Hi,

In English, you use "can" to say you know how to do something because you've learned it. For example: I can't read.

I think all Romance languages use "to know" in this case:

Catalan: no sé llegir
Spanish: no sé leer

Using "can" (no puc llegir / no puedo leer) would mean something like "I know how to do it but I can't right now (maybe because the letters are too small or I'm not allowed)"

How is it in your language? Ty!

 

[Panceltic]

Similar in Slovenian, we would use the verb znati "to know how to" in these cases. This is different to poznati "to know a person/thing".

For example: Znam brati ("I can read"), Ne poznam ga ("I don't know him")

If you use moči "can" in the first case, this means the same as in your examples, i.e. "I can read right now".

This is further complicated in Slovenian by the fact that we only use the verb moči in negative constructions, for example: Ne morem priti ("I can't come"). In positive constructions, we use the periphrastic structure using the word lahko (something like "easily, readily"), so for example: Lahko pridem ("I can come", literally "I come easily").

 

[Welsh_Sion]

Cymraeg/Welsh

It seems we are very similar to the Romance languages in this case. Medru (vn.) is used in a similar way to French savoir in the sense you mean:

Dw i'n medru nofio = 'Je sais nager'
Am I PRED. 'canning' swimming
'I can swim'

'Gallu' is wrong in this sense - Geiriadur yr Academi | The Welsh Academy English-Welsh Dictionary 'can':

Dw i'n gallu nofio

The more literal,

Dw i'n gwybod sut i nofio ('gwybod' = 'savoir')
Am I PRED. knowing how to swim
'I know how to swim'

is also heard in speech, but is probably closer to the English construction and frowned upon by purists.

Fedr hi ddim darllen = 'Elle ne sait pas lire'
SOFT MUTATION 'canning' she SOFT MUTATION nothing reading
'She can't read'

 

[apmoy70]

In Greek both options are equally and interchangeably used, one with the verb,
-«Ξέρω» [ˈk͡s̠e̞.ɾo̞] --> to know, aphetism of Byzantine verb «ἐξέρω» /eˈk͡se.rɔ/ (idem) < Koine verb «ἐξεύρω» /eˈk͡sey̯.rɔː/, earlier «ἐξευρίσκω» /ek͡sey̯ˈri.skɔː/ --> to find out, discover and by synecdoche, to know a compound: prefix & preposition «ἐκ» /ek/ (which becomes «ἐξ» /ek͡s/ when the next word begins with a vowel) + verb «εὑρίσκω» /hey̯ˈri.skɔː/, or the verb
-«Μπορώ» [bo̞ˈɾo̞] (standard pronunciation), [ᶬbo̞ˈɾo̞] (dialectal) --> to be able, can, may, aphetism of the Byzantine verb «ἐμπορῶ» /empoˈrɔ/ < Ancient Gr verb «εὐπορέω-εὐπορῶ» /ey̯poˈre.ɔː/ (uncontracted)-/ey̯poˈrɔ̂ː/ (contracted), contaminated with the noun «ἔμπορος» /ˈemporos/ (masc. or fem.).

Eg:
-«Δεν μπορώ να διαβάσω» /ˌðe̞ɱ.bo̞ˈɾo̞.naðʝaˈva.s̠o̞/ --> I can't read.
-«Δεν ξέρω να διαβάζω» /ˌðe̞ŋˈk͡z̠e̞.ɾo̞naðʝaˈva.z̠o̞/ --> I don't know (how) to read.
The first option is ambiguous as it could also mean that I'm unable to read at the moment (there's something οr someone blocking my ability to read). Hence the perfective aspect of the verb («διαβάσω» vs «διαβάζω»).

 

[Drakonica]

umieć, potrafić - to have ability / knowledge to do something
móc - to be able to do something (having enough time or goodwill, being allowed do do it)

 

[Awwal12]

As far as learned skills are concerned, Russian uses уметь (umét').
For being able to do sth for other reasons, мочь (moch) is used instead (also means "may").

 

[AutumnOwl]

In Swedish jag kan inte läsa (I can not read) can be interpreted either as "I don't know how to read", I haven't learnt to read, or "I don't have the time to read", usually with an added nu (now) in the end of the sentence.
To say that someone haven't learnt to read (yet), we use han har inte lärt sig läsa (ännu). Lära sig (learn oneself) is used for acquiring abilities, be it reading, swimming, but there's nothing wrong by using kan for it. Whether kan means not having learnt, or being unable to or unwilling to do something, added words (now, yet, today, and so on) will clarify the meaning.

 

[El Ganador]

In Hindi, one way (that immediately comes to my mind) is to use an inflection of 'सकना', which means 'can'.

Ex:
I can read
में पढ़ सकता हुँ

 

[Perseas]

Using "can" (no puc llegir / no puedo leer) would mean something like "I know how to do it but I can't right now (maybe because the letters are too small or I'm not allowed)"

Could it not mean "I can't read because I don't know how to read"? In Greek there's also this meaning, but in general ...

Greek tends to align itself with languages that don’t use “can” in this context (e.g. Romance) as opposed to languages that do (e.g. Germanic).

 

[Dymn]

Could it not mean "I can't read because I don't know how to read"?

It could technically, but it's not idiomatic, it would make you sound like a non-native speaker.

 

[matakoweg]

In Dutch we use the verb ‘kunnen’ in both meanings.

But when someone has never learned to read he should say:

‘Ik kan niet lezen’

I cannot read

But whenever someone cannot read because the letters are too small, or he forgot his glasses, we should say:

‘Ik kan het niet lezen’ with ‘het’ as direct object.

I cannot read it

 

[Awwal12]

As far as learned skills are concerned, Russian uses уметь (umét').
For being able to do sth for other reasons, мочь (moch) is used instead (also means "may").

P.S.: apparently уметь also applies to inherent generic abilities:
птицы умеют летать (ptítsy uméyut letát') "birds can fly"