Poder

[irmamar]

I don't know how to translate "poder" in the following sentence:

Me habría gustado poder hablar más sobre este tema

I would have liked "poder" (can? :confused:) talk longer about this topic.

Thanks :)

[Perikles]

I would have liked to have been able to speak longer..

This is what is said in English, where poder is translated as haber podido the perfect infinitive.

Remember, the verb 'can' is defective, and the infinitive is 'to be able' :)

[chileno]

I would have liked to be able to talk longer/more...
or
I would have liked to have been able to speak longer/more..


Correct?

[irmamar]

Of course, been able. I don't know what I have sometimes on my neck :thinking:

That "more..." I guess it's not "more time" :confused:

Thanks :)

[chileno]

Of course, been able. I don't know what I have sometimes on my neck :thinking:

A hat? :wicked:

That "more..." I guess it's not "more time" :confused:

Thanks :)


Why not?

[Perikles]

I would have liked to be able to talk longer/more...
or
I would have liked to have been able to speak longer/more..


Correct?Chileno, the first one is logical, but I think not correct, or used. The second is correct, where your past conditional main verb and your modal auxiliary infinitive are both in the past. :)

[chileno]

Chileno, the first one is logical, but I think not correct, or used. The second is correct, where your past conditional main verb and your modal auxiliary infinitive are both in the past. :)

Well, the second one copied from your post and added the "more..." :D

So it is logical but not correct? Are you sure?

Out of google " I would have liked him to show a little..."

[irmamar]

Chileno, the first one is logical, but I think not correct, or used. The second is correct, where your past conditional main verb and your modal auxiliary infinitive are both in the past. :)

I must learn this rule :thinking:

Can I say "more time" instead of "longer" here?

And what about talk / speak about? Are they interchangeable in this sentence? :confused:

To talk longer about this topic / to speak longer about this topic

:thinking:

[hermit]

hi chileno - in north american english "i would have liked to be able..."
is so common as to be 'colloquially acceptable', but technically incorrect.

in U.S./ Canadian conversational usage you'd not likely be corrected,
but some listeners might notice the grammatical error.

hermit

[Perikles]

So it is logical but not correct? Are you sure?

Out of google " I would have liked him to show a little..."Now I'm not totally sure. Your example from Google is really annoying, because it depends what she (it has to be a she!) means. If she is referring to the past, then she should have said I would have liked him to show have shown a little..."

But if she is talking of the present, i.e. he is some bloke who is not (yet) behaving as he should, then the example is correct as it stands. So the comparison is not quite fair.

It might be just a question of style. Where is pjt when we need him? :confused:

[chileno]

hi chileno - in north american english "i would have liked to be able..."
is so common as to be 'colloquially acceptable', but technically incorrect.

in U.S./ Canadian conversational usage you'd not likely be corrected,
but some listeners might notice the grammatical error.

hermit

I tell you...

Thanks to Perikles and to you for your explanation. :)

[Perikles]

Can I say "more time" instead of "longer" here?

And what about talk / speak about? Are they interchangeable in this sentence? :confused:

To talk longer about this topic :bad:/ to speak longer about this topic:bad:

:thinking:
To talk longer on this topic :good:/ to speak longer on this topic:good:

longer:good:
for more time:good:

You speak about etymology
You speak on the topic of etymology.
(speak or talk)

[chileno]

To talk longer on this topic :good:/ to speak longer on this topic:good:

longer:good:
for more time:good:

You speak about etymology
You speak on the topic of etymology.

I know all this, but my fingers refuse, at the time of writing, to do it correctly. :rolleyes:

[irmamar]

To talk longer on this topic :good:/ to speak longer on this topic:good:

longer:good:
for more time:good:

You speak about etymology
You speak on the topic of etymology.

Do I speak / talk on it or about it?

[poli]

I must learn this rule :thinking:

Can I say "more time" instead of "longer" here?

And what about talk / speak about? Are they interchangeable in this sentence? :confused:

To talk longer about this topic / to speak longer about this topic

:thinking:
You can use more or longer

speak is a better choice than talk in this case, but both can be used.

speak is related to talk
as
listen is related to hear

[irmamar]

Yes, but I can speak Spanish (not English :mad: ), but I can't "talk Spanish".

[Perikles]

Do I speak / talk on it or about it?You talk about something
You speak about something
You give a talk on something (a formal lecture)

he talked on the subject of football for 3 hours
he talked about football for 3 hours
:crazy::crazy:

[Perikles]

Yes, but I can speak Spanish (not English :mad: ), but I can't "talk Spanish".

You can speak Spanish and talk nonsense :lol::lol: Joking :kiss:

[irmamar]

You can speak Spanish and talk nonsense :lol::lol: Joking :kiss:

Yes, I know :sad:

So, I could say "talk about it" instead "talk on this topic", couldn't I? The worse is that I must translate este tema, so I have to say talk/speak on this topic. I'll try to remember, but I'm a bit desperate this year. Everything is quite difficult :tired:

[Perikles]

So, I could say "talk about it" :good:instead "talk on this topic":good:, couldn't I? The worse is that I must translate este tema, so I have to say talk/speak on this topic. I'll try to remember, but I'm a bit desperate this year. Everything is quite difficult :tired:talk on this topic will translate este tema for you, but both are correct. :)