French Conversation · Level 68
60 words
French word
incapacité
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛ̃kapasite/
Meaning
- feminine nouninability
Example
Mon incapacité à terminer le projet m'inquiète.
My inability to finish the project worries me.
More examples
Mon incapacité à parler en public me stresse.
My inability to speak in public stresses me out.
Core concept
A barrier where the power or skill needed to complete an action is absent.
Common phrases
incapacité à + infinitif
inability to ___
une incapacité à payer
an inability to pay
Similar words
incompétence: Insufficient skill or knowledge for carrying out a job or duty effectively.
handicap: A physical, mental, or environmental condition that makes activities difficult.
Definition in French
Absence de capacité à accomplir une action.
Word origin
The French noun was formed with in- meaning not or without plus capacité, which ultimately comes from Latin capax, able to contain or handle.
Usage tips
- For a specific action, French commonly uses incapacité à followed by an infinitive, as in incapacité à terminer le projet.
Other meanings
- disabilitynoun
Opposites
- capacitéabilitynoun
- compétencecompetencenoun