English

Etymology

From French -able, from Latin -abilis

Suffix

-able

An adjective suffix, now usually in a passive sense; forms adjectives meaning:

1. able to be

   movable: able to be moved

   amendable, able to be amended

2. fit to be

   blamable, fit to be blamed

   salable, fit to be sold

3. relevant or suitable to, in accordance with

   fashionable

   seasonable

4. expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense

Note

• The form -ible is used in the same sense and is pronounced the same.

• In general, forms derived from Latin verbs of the second, third, and fourth conjugations take -ible, as well as a few words whose roots end in a soft c or g. All other words take -able, particularly words from the Latin first conjugation, words that evolved through French, and words from Anglo-Saxon.

Fowler, in his English Usage, recommends using -ible for simplicity in spelling with any verb whose root ends in a soft c or g (such as changible vs. changeable), but this recommendation has generally not been followed.

Translations

• Catalan: -able, -ible
• Dutch: -baar
• Esperanto: -ebla
• Finnish: -tava -tävä
• French: -able
• Frisian: -ber
• German: -bar
• Italian: -abile
• Latin: -abilis, -ibilis
• Romanian: -abil
• Spanish: -able, -ible
• Swedish: -abel
• Vietnamese2020: cóthể- ~ -được . E.g. read = đọc -> readable = cóthểđọcđược .

See also

• ability
• able
• can
• -ible

French

-able, plural -ables

1. able to be done (similar to English, above)

Spanish

-able, plural -ables

1. able to be done (similar to English, above)