አልቻለም
/alchalem/
How to say "I couldn’t" in Amharic
The Amharic word for "I couldn’t" is አልቻለም, pronounced alchalem.
Definition
Infinitive verb meaning “to be able (to do something), to have the ability or possibility.”
Dictionary form
አልቻለም is a form of መቻል (mechal) — “to be able”. Amharic verbs and nouns change shape by person, gender, number, and tense; look up the dictionary form to see the full set.
Also spelled
alchalem, alcalem
Word details
- Ge’ez script
- አልቻለም
- Transliteration
- alchalem
- Part of speech
- verb
- English meaning
- I couldn’t
Related forms
እችላለት/ichlalet/I can for him/herመቻለው/mechalew/his being able toስለሚችል/slemichl/because it canእችላለን/ichlalen/we canመቻል/mechal/to be ableትችላለች/tchlalech/she canትችላሉ/tchlalu/you canመቻሉ/mechalu/his/its abilityመቻልህ/mechalh/your (m) being able toመቻላችሁ/mechalachhu/your (pl.) abilityመቻላቸው/mechalachew/their abilityትችላላችሁ/tchlalachhu/you canእንችላለን/inchlalen/we canእችላለሽ/ichlalesh/you can (f.)ቻለ/chale/he couldቻሉ/chalu/they couldእንችላለና/inchlalena/we canትችላችሁ/tchlachhu/you (pl.) canትችያለህ/tchyaleh/you canአይቻልም/aychalm/it’s impossibleይችላሉት/ychlalut/they can do itይችሉታል/ychlutal/they canይችላሉና/ychlaluna/because they canልችል/lchl/let me be ableትችላለው/tchlalew/you (m.) can do itትችላለውስ/tchlalews/you (m.) can then?ሊችሉ/lichlu/to be able (they)ተቻለ/techale/was possibleተቻሉ/techalu/were possibleይችላሉናም/ychlalunam/and they canማይችል/maychl/that cannotትችላቸዋለህ/tchlachewaleh/you can do themአንችልም/anchlm/I can’tአልችልም/alchlm/I can’tአልቻልኩም/alchalkum/I couldn’tእችላለሁ/ichlalehu/I canመቻልና/mechalna/and to be ableመቻልህን/mechalhn/your abilityየምትችል/yemtchl/that you canአልቻልኩ/alchalku/I couldn’tእችላለች/ichlalech/she canትችላለን/tchlalen/we canይችላሉም/ychlalum/they can alsoትችላለህ/tchlaleh/you canትችላለህን/tchlalehn/can you? (m.)ቻለች/chalech/she couldየማይችል/yemaychl/unable toመቻልሽ/mechalsh/your (f) being able toትችላለም/tchlalem/you cannotትችያለሽ/tchyalesh/you canይችላሉ/ychlalu/they canየሚችሉት/yemichlut/that they canይችላሉኝ/ychlaluny/they can for meእችላለህ/ichlaleh/you can (m.)እንደሚችሉ/indemichlu/as they canይቻላልና/ychalalna/because it’s possibleሊቻል/lichal/to be possibleስለማይቻል/slemaychal/because it’s impossibleእችላሉ/ichlalu/they/you (pl.) canየማይቻል/yemaychal/impossibleትችላለሽ/tchlalesh/you canአለመቻሉ/alemechalu/his inabilityይችላሉን/ychlalun/can they?ይቻላል/ychalal/it is possibleአይቻሉም/aychalum/they’re impossibleቻልህ/chalh/you managedአይቻለሁ/aychalehu/I am not ableአይቻሉም/aychalum/they are impossible
አልቻለም in example sentences
ሊመጣ አልቻለም፣ ታምሟል።
He could not come - he is sick.
Frequently asked questions
What does አልቻለም mean in English?
አልቻለም (alchalem) means "I couldn’t" in English.
How do you pronounce አልቻለም?
አልቻለም is pronounced alchalem.
What part of speech is አልቻለም?
አልቻለም is a verb in Amharic.
What is the dictionary form of አልቻለም?
አልቻለም is a form of መቻል (mechal), meaning "to be able".
Learn አልቻለም in context.Gursha teaches Amharic through real conversations — script, sound, and the situations you'll actually use.