B1verb · transitive · common

unable

unable · unables · unabled · unabling

To render unable; to disableTo render unable; to disable.

ⓘ

/ʌnˈeɪbl̩/

» Tom was unable to help me.

Tom war nicht imstande mir zu helfen.

Том не мог мне помочь.

Том не зміг мені допомогти.

Meaning

1 senses

(nonstandard)To render unable; to disable.

Examples

717 sentences

Tom was unable to help me.
Том не зміг мені допомогти. — deniko
ruТом не мог мне помочь. — marafon
deTom war nicht imstande mir zu helfen. — wolfgangth
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · CK · B1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
I'm unable to help you today.
Я тобі сьогодні не зможу допомогти. — deniko
ruЯ не смогу помочь тебе сегодня. — fjay69
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We were unable to follow his logic.
Ми не могли зрозуміти його логіку. — deniko
ruМы были не в состоянии понять его логику. — Lenin_1917
deWir konnten seiner Logik nicht folgen. — al_ex_an_der
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Tom was unable to wake Mary up.
Том не зміг розбудити Мері. — deniko
ruТом не смог разбудить Мэри. — marafon
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Tom was unable to complete the job.
Том не зміг закінчити роботу. — deniko
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Origin

From Middle English unablen, equivalent to un- + able.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

unables, unabling, unabled, unabled

Base form	unable · to unable
3rd person singular	unables
Present participle	unabling
Past simple	unabled
Past participle	unabled

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, they	unable
he, she, it	unables

Past simpleLesson

all persons

unabled

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, they	have unabled
he, she, it	has unabled

Future simple (will)Lesson

all persons

will unable

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle

Collocations

12 patterns

was unable to
unable to do
unable to help
would've been unable
unable to attend
unable to answer
unable to read
unable to get
unable to speak
unable to open
unable to walk
unable to buy