Can't

[lifeinperu]

Here's something helpful I just figured out:

In English we would say

"I can't hear" or
"I can't see" or
"I can't breathe"

We like to use the verb can. But, in spanish they don't really use it for these type of statements. You would say it like

"No escucho." or
"No veo." or
"No respiro."

Pretty cool huh?

[Rania]

yup ! Pretty cool :smug:

thank u :thumbs-up:

[Jim]

Here's something helpful I just figured out:

In English we would say

"I can't hear" or
"I can't see" or
"I can't breathe"

We like to use the verb can. But, in spanish they don't really use it for these type of statements. You would say it like

"No escucho." or
"No veo." or
"No respiro."

Pretty cool huh?

I'm just a beginner myself, so this has confused me. Wouldn't "no escucho" be simply the opposite of escucho i.e I don't hear, as opposed to I can't hear.

I have been taught to use the verb poder i.e No puedo escuchar

Any comments?

[Grimace]

Lifeinperu is correct. In Spanish it's common to say "no veo" or "no oigo" for what we would express in English as "I can't see" if someone's blocking your view or "I can't hear" if the sound is too low.

You're also right that the construction could also mean "I don't hear" as in "no oigo nada" -- I don't hear anything -- so, yes, it could be ambiguous.

If you say "no puedo ver," it would really mean "I'm incapable of seeing," as if the person were blind or something.