Able in Malayalam
Everyday Malayalam puts the idea of being able into the verb കഴിയും (kazhiyum), can or is able to, as in enikku kazhiyum, I am able to. Say it ka-zhi-yum, with the middle sound made by curling the tongue back towards the palate. When able describes a capable person instead, speech switches to സമര്ത്ഥന് (samarthan).
Can, to be able to; Malayalam says enikku kazhiyum, it is possible for me.
എനിക്ക് നീന്താൻ കഴിയും.
enikku neenthaan kazhiyum.
I can swim.
All Malayalam words for “able”
- കഴിയും (kazhiyum) — Can, to be able to; Malayalam says enikku kazhiyum, it is possible for me.
- സമര്ത്ഥന് (samarthan) — A man who is clever, skillful, able, efficient or intelligent.
- കഴിഞ്ഞു (kazhinju) — Could, was able to; the past of kazhiyuka, to be able; done, finished, completed, over; finished, completed, over and done with; the past form of kazhiyuka.
- കഴിയാത്ത (kazhiyaatha) — Unable, not able to do something; in a sentence Malayalam usually says kazhiyilla, cannot.
- കഴിയില്ല (kazhiyilla) — Cannot, is not able to (used after the verb in Malayalam, as in varaan kazhiyilla, cannot come).
- പോകുക (pokuka) — Go, leave, depart, disappear, lose, be able.
- പോന്നവന് (ponnavan) — Competent or able person, proper person.
- സാധ്യം (saadhyam) — Possible, able to happen, feasible.
- സ്വതന്ത്രം (swathanthram) — Independent, free, not under anybody's control, able to stand on its own.
കഴിയും (kazhiyum) states ability inside a sentence, കഴിയില്ല (kazhiyilla) is its negative and കഴിഞ്ഞു (kazhinju) its past, was able to. സമര്ത്ഥന് (samarthan) and പോന്നവന് (ponnavan) name an able, competent person, while സാധ്യം (saadhyam) says that something is possible rather than that somebody is capable.
Common questions
How do you say able in Malayalam?
For able in the sense of can, use കഴിയും (kazhiyum); for an able, skilful person the word is സമര്ത്ഥന് (samarthan).
How do I say that I am not able to do something?
Place കഴിയില്ല (kazhiyilla) after the verb, the way varaan kazhiyilla means cannot come.