Elamur: [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [Parse](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/parse/) · [Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · **Translate** · [Research](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [MCP](https://mcp.elamur.ai/) · [Groupants](https://md.groupants.elamur.ai/free/en/) This page as HTML: # unable — English to French How English *unable* is translated into French in open, checked parallel texts: 3 translations with example sentences. What it means: [unable in the Elamur Dictionary](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/unable/). Sentence pairs counted, by form: unable (39 700). By style: everyday 110 · literary 4 · parliamentary 4 225 · legal and administrative 2 331 · UN documents 33 030. ## pu Used about 7 159 times in the texts (everyday ≈ 18 · literary ≈ 1 · parliamentary ≈ 704 · legal and administrative ≈ 243 · UN documents ≈ 6 193). - They were **unable** to help him. Elles n'ont pas **pu** l'aider. ([Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/) · Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR · sentences by mailohilohi and Aiji · checked, community translation · [\#6104400](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/6104400) [\#8823977](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/8823977)) - "Yes, it is difficult," he said, "to calculate exactly; perhaps even impossible, since during these three stormy days I have been **unable** to keep any account of the rate or direction of the raft; but still we may get an approximation." —A calculer exactement, oui, répondit-il; c'est même impossible, puisque, pendant ces trois jours de tempête, je n'ai **pu** tenir note de la vitesse et de la direction du radeau; mais cependant nous pouvons relever notre situation à l'estime. ([Project Gutenberg books (Verne, Hugo, Maupassant and their translators)](https://www.gutenberg.org/) · Project Gutenberg, public domain · checked, professional translation · verne journey centre earth, row 3263) - I was therefore **unable** to vote in favour of the report. Je n’ai donc pas **pu** voter pour le rapport. ([Europarl v8](https://www.statmt.org/europarl/) · Source: European Parliament proceedings, Europarl v8 (Koehn 2005) via OPUS (Tiedemann 2012) · checked, professional translation · segment 612624) - indicate the reasons for which the third party was **unable** to take part in the original case before the Tribunal. indiquer les raisons pour lesquelles le tiers opposant n'a **pu** participer au litige principal devant le Tribunal. ([DGT-TM v2021](https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/language-technology-resources/dgt-translation-memory_en) · Source: European Commission, DGT-TM (Steinberger et al. 2012), re-used under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU; the Commission keeps ownership of the data · checked, professional translation · segment 1197663) - The working party was **unable** to provide a rationale for selecting one of the above options. Le Groupe de travail n ' a pas **pu** donner de raison justifiant le choix de l ' une ou de l ' autre de ces options. ([United Nations Parallel Corpus v1.0](https://conferences.unite.un.org/UNCorpus) · Source: United Nations, United Nations Parallel Corpus v1.0 (Ziemski, Junczys-Dowmunt and Pouliquen 2016) · checked, professional translation · segment 1755273) ## mesure Used about 4 834 times in the texts (everyday ≈ 9 · parliamentary ≈ 704 · legal and administrative ≈ 680 · UN documents ≈ 3 441). - I was still **unable** to answer. Je n'étais toujours pas en **mesure** de répondre. ([Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/) · Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR · sentences by zogwarg and felix63 · checked, community translation · [\#13715751](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/13715751) [\#8622345](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/8622345)) - We are now **unable** to guide the peace. Aujourd'hui, nous ne sommes pas en **mesure** d'y maintenir la paix. ([Europarl v8](https://www.statmt.org/europarl/) · Source: European Parliament proceedings, Europarl v8 (Koehn 2005) via OPUS (Tiedemann 2012) · checked, professional translation · segment 18416) - The Committee was **unable** to adopt an opinion by the necessary qualified majority. Le comité n'a pas été en **mesure** d'obtenir la majorité qualifiée nécessaire pour adopter un avis. ([DGT-TM v2021](https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/language-technology-resources/dgt-translation-memory_en) · Source: European Commission, DGT-TM (Steinberger et al. 2012), re-used under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU; the Commission keeps ownership of the data · checked, professional translation · segment 3552181) - Accordingly, the Panel is **unable** to recommend compensation. 3. En conséquence, le Comité n ' est pas en **mesure** de recommander l ' octroi d ' une indemnité. ([United Nations Parallel Corpus v1.0](https://conferences.unite.un.org/UNCorpus) · Source: United Nations, United Nations Parallel Corpus v1.0 (Ziemski, Junczys-Dowmunt and Pouliquen 2016) · checked, professional translation · segment 6614726) - We are sorry we are **unable** to accept your request. Nous sommes désolés, nous ne sommes pas en **mesure** d'accepter votre demande. ([Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/) · Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR · sentences by CK and TRANG · checked, community translation · [\#54300](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/54300) [\#334197](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/334197)) ## incapable Used about 2 705 times in the texts (everyday ≈ 37 · parliamentary ≈ 264 · legal and administrative ≈ 340 · UN documents ≈ 2 064). - He is **unable** to do it. Il est **incapable** de le faire. ([Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/) · Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR · sentences by CK and mamat · checked, community translation · [\#284693](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/284693) [\#130087](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/130087)) - The fault in this case lies with the Council, which has been **unable** to agree to a new regulation. Dans ce cas-ci, la faute incombe au Conseil, qui a été **incapable** de convenir d'un nouveau règlement. ([Europarl v8](https://www.statmt.org/europarl/) · Source: European Parliament proceedings, Europarl v8 (Koehn 2005) via OPUS (Tiedemann 2012) · checked, professional translation · segment 1534718) - the AIF is definitively **unable** to directly or indirectly dispose of the financial instrument. le FIA est définitivement **incapable** de céder directement ou indirectement l’instrument financier. ([DGT-TM v2021](https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/language-technology-resources/dgt-translation-memory_en) · Source: European Commission, DGT-TM (Steinberger et al. 2012), re-used under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU; the Commission keeps ownership of the data · checked, professional translation · segment 2897693) - **Unable** to withstand another round of beatings, one of the inmates hanged himself on 1 July 2004, during the night. **Incapable** de supporter un autre passage à tabac, un des détenus s ' est pendu au cours de la nuit du 1er juillet 2004. ([United Nations Parallel Corpus v1.0](https://conferences.unite.un.org/UNCorpus) · Source: United Nations, United Nations Parallel Corpus v1.0 (Ziemski, Junczys-Dowmunt and Pouliquen 2016) · checked, professional translation · segment 28874580) - He was **unable** to move. Il était **incapable** de bouger. ([Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/) · Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR · sentences by CK and sacredceltic · checked, community translation · [\#302033](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/302033) [\#4711254](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/4711254)) ## More sentences Sentence pairs with the word where no single translation was found: it may be translated by a phrase, or left out. - I was **unable** to breathe because of the smoke. Je ne pouvais pas respirer à cause de la fumée. ([Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/) · Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR · sentences by Dejo and lbdx · checked, community translation · [\#256285](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/256285) [\#12033241](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/12033241)) - The explorers were **unable** to cleave a path through the jungle. Les explorateurs n'ont pas réussi à se frayer un chemin dans la jungle. ([Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/) · Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR · sentences by Hybrid and lbdx · checked, community translation · [\#2327337](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/2327337) [\#10280610](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/10280610)) - It seems he spent many a night **unable** to sleep. Il semble qu'il passa plus d'une nuit dans l'incapacité de dormir. ([Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/) · Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR · sentences by fcbond and sacredceltic · checked, community translation · [\#329173](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/329173) [\#490712](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/490712)) ## Grammar Notes on grammar and translation on Mova: [English grammar](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/languages/en/) · [French grammar](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/languages/fr/) · [translating between English and French](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/languages/translation/pairs/en-fr/) · [translating from English](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/languages/translation/from-en/) · [translating into French](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/languages/translation/into-fr/). ## About these examples Translations are found by how often the two words stand in the same sentence pairs, and the highlighted words are matched automatically: both are approximate. Counts are estimated from a sample of each source. Every example names its source and licence. [Submit a better translation or example](https://md.translate.elamur.ai/free/en/submit/?pair=en-fr&word=unable). Every example is quoted under its source's licence and credited with it; the rest of the site is open under the Elamur Cosmic License.