able

[ˈeɪbl]
adjective
1) (having ability to)
to be able to do — pouvoir faire
she was able to play the piano at the age of four — elle savait jouer du piano à quatre ans
2) (skilled) [lawyer, teacher etc] compétent; (gifted) [child] doué
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to be able to meaning can is usually translated by the verb pouvoir: I was not able to go = je ne pouvais pas y aller; I was not able to help him = je ne pouvais pas l'aider. The main exception to this occurs when to be able to implies the acquiring of a skill, when savoir is used: he's nine and he's still not able to read = il a neuf ans et il ne sait toujours pas lire
For more examples and other uses, see the entry below