Most likely to

Question

Does anyone have a translation for "the person who would be most likely to do it"'

Answer 1

La persona que es más probable de hacerlo.

Answer 2

Another option:

La persona con más probabilidades de hacerlo.

Answer 3

Also could be translated as: "la persona que sería mas adecuada para hacerlo"...

Taking this meaning.....likely= (adj.) appropriate.

Answer 4

Carlos F. said:

Also could be translated as: "la persona que sería mas adecuada para hacerlo"... Taking this meaning.....likely= (adj.) appropriate.

But in this context "likely" doesn't mean appropriate, it means probable.

Actually, when I read your post I thought you had made a mistake, because I couldn't recall ever hearing likely used to mean appropriate, but I looked it up in the dictionary, and saw this:

Apparently appropriate or suitable: There were several likely candidates for the job.

However, while I hesitate to dispute a dictionary, the above definition and example sentence seem wrong to me, because to me the meaning of likely in that sentence is still "probable." Of course, any candidates who are probable to be selected are also going to be appropriate (why else would they be probable candidates'), but that doesn't mean that likely means appropriate.

Any way, I think adecuada in this context would be a mistranslation.

Answer 5

For James from OED:

likely. 3. Apparently suitable or qualified (for a purpose or an action); apparently able or fitted (to do or to be something expressed or implied).

1789 BURNEY Hist. Mus. (ed. 2) III. vii. 410 Lely gave me these papers as the likelyest person to get them perfected. [There's a whole paragraph of quotations for def. # 3., but I only copied this one.]

Copyright Oxford English Dictionary

I agree though, that when likely is followed by "to do," probable is the intended meaning.