¿es posible?
The English phrase "is it possible?" is translated into Spanish as ¿es posible?
¿es posible? is used to ask if a particular action can be performed or if a certain situation is achievable.
What does it mean word for word?
The word es is the third-person singular present form of the verb ser (to be).
Which one should you use?
While ¿es posible? is used to inquire about the feasibility of an event, the phrase ¿puede ser? (meaning "could it be?") is more commonly used to express disbelief or to ask if something is plausible.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use the expanded phrase ¿es posible que…? (is it possible that…?) to introduce a clause, you must follow that clause with the subjunctive mood, such as in ¿Es posible que venga?
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word es comes from the verb ser, which is used to describe permanent qualities or identities. This differs from está, which comes from estar and describes temporary states.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿es posible? can be used as a very polite way to make a request, functioning similarly to 'would it be possible' in English.
- The English word 'is' and the Spanish word es both trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European root, *h₁ésti. This means they are distant linguistic cousins.
Examples in context
- ¿Es posible llegar a tiempo?Is it possible to arrive on time?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, posible, CC BY-SA 4.0.
