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shin_fong
4 jun 2015

  • Chino simplificado
  • Inglés (US)
  • Japonés
  • Español (España)
Pregunta de Inglés (US)

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre ability, capacity y capability ?Puedes dar oraciones como ejemplo.

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mikki
4 jun 2015

  • Inglés (US)

This is kind of a tough one to answer. In general, they can all mean the same thing. That is, referring to someone's power to perform an action.

But let's look at some of the cases where it's different.

For capacity, it may imply that you have the potential to perform a specific action. For example, everyone has the capacity to become a chef. Though that may never happen, if you studied cooking long enough and put in enough effort, it would be possible. So you have the capacity.

Capabilities often refer to the extremes of an ability. For example, you have the ability to run, but maybe you are not capable of running (do not have the capacity to run) 8km.

peroxideprince
4 jun 2015

  • Inglés (US)
  • Filipino

"Ability" means whether one can do it or not. "Capacity" means how much one can do it. "Capability" may be synonymous with "capacity," but may also take into account whether one can do it or not, and also how much one can (or cannot) do.

It is like saying "possibility" and "probability."

Examples:
"Are you able to do it?" or "Can you do it?" (ability)
"Up to what capacity can you do it?" or "Up to how much can you do?" (capacity)
"How capable are you of doing it?" (capability)

Note how you can only answer "ability" with a "yes" or "no," while "capacity" with an amount, ("up to this certain level" or "until this certain aspect") and "capability" with quality ("very capable," "somewhat capable").

shin_fong
8 jun 2015

  • Chino simplificado
Thank you all for your explanation!
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