Question 1

I thought capaz meant 'capable'. How does it mean 'might' here?

Accepted Answer

While capaz de means 'capable of', the phrase capaz que (or just capaz) is a very common colloquial expression in much of Latin America meaning 'maybe' or 'perhaps'. It works just like a lo mejor or tal vez.

Question 2

Why use acierte in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative?

Accepted Answer

The phrase capaz que expresses doubt. Just like with tal vez or quizás, using the subjunctive (acierte) emphasizes a higher level of doubt. In everyday Latin American Spanish, you can also use the indicative (acierto) after capaz que if you feel the outcome is more likely.

Question 3

Why use acertar for 'guess' instead of adivinar?

Accepted Answer

Adivinar is the general action of guessing. Acertar goes a step further: it means 'to guess correctly', 'to get it right', or 'to hit the target'. The speaker isn't just saying they won't make a guess; they are saying they might not get the answer right.

Question 4

Why does acertar become acierte here?

Accepted Answer

Acertar is a stem-changing verb where the e changes to ie. Because the vocal stress falls on the stem in the present subjunctive for the yo form, the e becomes ie (acierte). It follows the exact same pattern as pensar (piense).

Question 5

Since there is no pronoun, could this sentence also mean 'He might not guess the correct answer'?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Because the present subjunctive endings for yo and él/ella/usted are identical (acierte), this sentence could easily mean he, she, or you (formal) might not guess it. The true subject would just be understood from the surrounding conversation.

Capaz que no acierte la respuesta correcta.

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