How to Say “Not Possible” in Spanish

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no es posible
/no es posible/from spelling rules
no es posible is the Spanish way to say "not possible".
no es posible is used to state that something cannot happen or be done. Depending on your specific meaning, other phrases might be more appropriate: no es factible is used for things that are not feasible or viable, no es realista is used for things that are not realistic or practical and no tiene sentido is used when something is not logical or doesn't make sense. If you want to express that something is simply impossible in a more concise way, you can use the adjective imposible.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase literally translates to "it is not possible" because es is the third-person singular form of the verb ser (to be).

Which one should you use?

While no es posible is used for objective impossibility, the phrase no puede ser is more commonly used to express disbelief or shock at a situation. For more casual settings, you might use no hay manera to mean "there is no way" or no se puede to express that something is not possible in both formal and informal contexts.

Is it said differently in some regions?

The expression no es posible is used more frequently in Spain and in formal Latin American countries.

How does it change in a sentence?

When you follow no es posible with a clause starting with que (meaning "it is not possible that…"), the verb in that following clause must be in the subjunctive mood.

How do you pronounce it?

/no es posible/

Did you know?

  • The English word 'possible' and the Spanish word posible share a common ancestor in the Proto-Indo-European root *pótis, which refers to a 'master' or 'powerful one'.

Examples in context

  • Eso no es posible.
    That's not possible.
    Tatoeba #1781290 by Shishir, translation #954332 by CK
  • ¡Eso no es posible!
    That is not possible.
    Tatoeba #947068 by marcelostockle, translation #2903380 by Hybrid
  • Eso ya no es posible.
    That is not possible anymore.
    Tatoeba #1959291 by marcelostockle, translation #1959295 by marcelostockle
  • No es posible realizar el cambio en este momento.
    It is not possible to make the change at this time.
  • No se puede acceder al archivo sin una contraseña.
    You can't access the file without a password.
  • No es factible terminar el proyecto en tan poco tiempo.
    It is not feasible to finish the project in such a short time.
  • No hay manera de que terminemos antes de la hora.
    There is no way we can finish before the deadline.
  • 14 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Mateo and Elena are trying to book a hotel room for tomorrow.

  1. Mateo

    Necesitamos una habitación para mañana.
    We need a room for tomorrow.
  2. Elena

    Lo siento, no es posible ahora.
    I'm sorry, it's not possible now.
  3. Mateo

    ¿No hay ninguna cancelación?
    Are there no cancellations?
  4. Elena

    No, no es posible reservar hoy.
    No, it is not possible to book today.

Sources

  • IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
  • Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, no, posible, CC BY-SA 4.0.
  • Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
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Myrtle Stacy
Myrtle StacyHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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