"Он умеет готовить."

Translation: He knows how to cook.

[helmi23]

when do you use "уметь" and when do you use "мочь"?

[deactivated user]

Уме́ть means having a certain skill.

• Я уме́ю гото́вить. 'I can cook.' = 'I know how to cook.'
• Я уме́ю пла́вать. 'I can swim.'
• Я уме́ю игра́ть в футбо́л. 'I know how to play f̶o̶o̶t̶b̶a̶l̶l̶ soccer.'
• Я уме́ю чита́ть мы́сли. 'I can read [other people's] mind.'

Мо́чь refers to general possibility, often the possibility to do action at the moment. When used without any context, it usually sounds as an offer:

• Я могу́ гото́вить. 'I can cook', 'I could cook'.

We don't say things like «я могу готовить» often, because, well, who doesn't? I think it's used with «не» much more often than in positive sentences.

• Я не могу́ гото́вить, не́ из чего. 'I can't cook, I don't have anything to cook!'
• Я не могу́ пла́вать без пла́вок. 'I can't swim without swimming trunks.'
• Я не могу́ игра́ть в футбо́л без мяча́. 'I can't play soccer without a ball.'
• Я не могу́ чита́ть его мысли, пока́ он но́сит ша́почку из фольги́. 'I can't read his mind while he wears a tinfoil hat.'

[Dogdogcat]

Oh, that last one made me laugh out loud!

[helmi23]

Thank you for explaining it so clearly!

[OhItsAlex]

Foot =

[shkrjab]

In this option must be: "knows". Because when he sick he can't, although he knows.

[AndyBlore]

Умеет means to be able to.. and know how to. Therefore, 'He is able to cook is correct??' Oн умеет готовит?? Совет пожалуйста.

[Reindeersp]

Can you not also say: "he is able to cook"?

[Zhunter3]

I also put "able to cook".

[yaempure]

"He knows cooking" was marked wrong.. is this totally off?

[Zhunter3]

It's close but it's a little off. Умеет means to be able to AND also knows how to. I feel like it's used for skillsets that require knowledge and ability through practice.

[JewishPolyglot]

Ah... one of the few sentences that are shorter in English than in Russian!

[StevenBwer]

I believe you can say it either way in English!

[MrHarryRay]

We used to have a TV show here in Australia titled «Ян умеет готовить, а вы тоже умеете!». A bit catchier in English.

[shkrjab]

He knows how to cook – it's right too?

[werothegreat]

The way the woman is pronouncing it, it sounds like "умед". Would a Russian speaker not really pronounce the two "e"s separately?

[243.H8YcKoWYuJLh]

Yeah the pronunciation of уметь is totally off. Should be more like "umeejet" and not "umeet" here.

[TsarTzeentch]

I also think this is pronounced «уме-ет» but I can't be sure

[SCP-DUO]

He is single

[Angelo748183]

"I know how to cook" is the same thing, or not?

[Elyakiwi]

он умеет готовить.

но что он делает?

он вместо спит!

[ozd.erhan]

Why is "he is able to cook" wrong?

[TomAntonso]

What is wrong with, "He is able to cook." that makes it so different from, "He can cook."??????

[Kundoo]

"Умеет" means "can" in the sense of "has the knowledge and skill" not in the sense of "has the ability".

[Siipko]

Can this be used as a compliment? Like someone cooks you a meal and you say, "Dang, he knows how to cook!"

[Kundoo]

Yes, it's possible.

[GavinMille41844]

Why not "он знает готовить"?