I can't work with incompetent people

Question

I can't work with incompetent people

I don't think can't works here for Spanish, I think want is better.

No quiero trabajar con las personas incompetentes. OR No quiero trabajar con la gente incompetente.

Does that sound right to you?

Jezzle I am going with Gekkosan here. - pacofinkler, Oct 9, 2011

Answer 1

I'd do away with the article. I don't see the problem with "can't". The two words mean different things, as they do in English:

No puedo trabajar con gente incompetente - (I just can't do it).

No quiero trabajar con gente incompetente - (sure, I can - I just don't wanna).

But don't you think, it really means I don't want to? I guess the subtle diffence is hard to figure out. - jeezzle, Oct 9, 2011

Why drop the article. Why Gekko, why? - jeezzle, Oct 9, 2011

I believe in using the right word for the right meaning. To me "can't" and "don't want to" mean different things. But that's me. - Gekkosan, Oct 9, 2011

Yes Jeezzle, you're right, it's the same in English...when you say "I can't work with these people" doesn't mean that you actually cannot, here these sentences translate literaly - geouk, Oct 9, 2011

Why drop the article? Because it's not necessary. Spanish speakers don't talk like that. "Gente incompetente" correctly means "incompetent people". You don't say "I can't work with THE incompetent people" - why? Same reason. - Gekkosan, Oct 9, 2011

Answer 2

Hi Jeezzle, yes those sentences do sound right, although you need to drop the article.

"No quiero trabajar con personas incompetentes". OR "No quiero trabajar con gente incompetente."

This expresses a wish, what you want but not what you're unable to do. In that case you should use 'poder' - 'can'.

"No puedo trabajar con personas incompetentes". OR "No puedo trabajar con gente incompetente."

I thought about it. But why? - jeezzle, Oct 9, 2011

Because it's redundant. If it was at the beginning then yes, "La gente incompetente me enfurece". Here the subject is 'la gente', in the former one 'yo' is, that's another cause - geouk, Oct 9, 2011

Answer 3

But don't you think, it really means I don't want to? I guess the subtle diffence is hard to figure out.

Yes Jeezzle, you're right, it's the same in English...when you say "I can't work with >these people" doesn't mean that you actually cannot, here these sentences translate >literaly

Ok, now there are two different concepts involved in here.

What do people actually mean when they say something?

Oh, darn it! I just can't cope with all these grammar rules!

Does this person really mean that he / she is intellectually unable to understand and process the grammar rules? Not really. He / she is just fed up, and does not feel like dealing with it.

BUT the fact remains that "can't" and "don't want to" are different concepts, and each one has a proper definition: "cannot" means that it is not possible to do it. One may wish to do it, but is not able to, for whatever reason. "Don't want to" means that one is capable of doing it, but unwilling to.

To me, the distinction is important. I learned it as a kid, and as employee, and now as a manager and as a father, I apply the same lessons: "do you really mean you can't, or you just don't feel like it?" Because if you can't, I can help you obtain the skills you need. But if you don't want to, I'll find someone else who is willing to get it done.

As I said,it's just me....

Exactly. I can't doesn't really mean I can't most of the time in English but rather, it's hard and I don't want to. I can't do this!!!!! I can't deal with this!!!!! I can't bear it anymore!!!!!! I can't work like this!!!!!!!! all mean I don't want to - jeezzle, Oct 9, 2011

Gekkosan, cannot is not normally used to express something one can really not do but rather something one thinks, feels, believes of not being able to do. It's an expression and can be ambiguous, wheras 'not to be able to' is unequivocal. - geouk, Oct 10, 2011

Answer 4

Hey Jeezle,

My 2 cents here,

I don't think there is anything wrong with saying no puedo instead of no quiero in your example.

No puedo mas!

for example is a common phrase which conveys a similar idea using poder.

Yeah but that means more like, you're really can't or you or gonna explode. I think it's more quiero here. ;) - jeezzle, Oct 9, 2011

By all means, say what you really want to say. - Gekkosan, Oct 9, 2011

Answer 5

Sí,correcto

Answer 6

No puedo trabajar con gente incompetente

Entonces serás solitario.

Answer 7

No puedo trabajar con gente incompetente

without the article.

I was corrected from "tengo boca grande" to "tengo la boca grande" the other day.

I have a big mouth. Is it because of the "a"?

What about I have brown hair?

Tengo el pelo marrón or tengo pelo marrón? I would say "tengo pelo marrón" but that "tengo la boca grande" thing has me thinking, but then "gente incompetente" has me thinking the other way. Why use the article there then?