Could I use "poderoso" to refer to one's ability to speak many languages?

Question

Daré una presentación de João Guimarães Rosa, y él era autodidacta. Quiero decir que: "Es interesante porque su (ability) para hablar muchas lenguas le dio un estilo de escribir más versátil de los escritores brasileños"

Answer 1

poder(noun) - ability, or talento - talent. 'poderoso' is an adjective and you want a noun, so the best option is 'poder'

poderoso - adjective - ex. 'es muy poderoso' - he's very powerful

poder - noun - ex. 'tiene poder' - he has power/ability

capacidad - ability - ex. 'tiene muchas capacidades' - he's got many abilities (he is capable of doing something)

Answer 2

Your profile doesn't indicate what your native language is (nor, for that matter, your proficiency in any language nor, even, where you are [which would, at least, suggest exposure to some particular language]). Thus, I will assume that your native language is English.

In English it would be quite unusual to say of someone "When it came to languages, he was very powerful." "Talented", "gifted", "a quick learner" yes but "powerful" is odd. It's not impossible. It's not even so odd as to cause misunderstanding.

I suspect the same is true of Spanish. "En cuanto a las lenguas, tiene mucho talento (tiene don)" or some such. However, "es poderoso" seems unlikely.

Answer 3

Sí que puedes decir su poderosa habilidad para aprender idiomas. Poderoso califica a la capacidad multilíngüe. Poderoso usado en una persona tiene más que ver con su fuerza física o su dinero e influencia.

Answer 4

Ponderoso? Isn't that the ranch where the Cartwright family lived? (A joke for old people or watchers of TVLand.)

La Ponderosa, Leatha... lol - gone, Feb 10, 2011

Answer 5

one's ability to speak many languages can be referred to as políglota

Nonethless, if you think that gift made him a powerful man, poderoso will be the best way to describe him