language note: Could is a modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. Could is sometimes considered to be the past form of can1, but in this dictionary the two words are dealt with separately.
1. modal verb
You use could to indicate that someone had the ability to do something. You use could not or couldn't to say that someone was unable to do something.
For my return journey, I felt I could afford the extra and travel first class.
I could see that something was terribly wrong.
He could not resist telling her the truth.
When I left school at 16, I couldn't read or write.
There was no way she could have coped with a baby around.
can1
2. modal verb
You use could to indicate that something sometimes happened.
Though he had a temper and could be nasty, it never lasted.
He could be very pleasant when he wanted to.
3. modal verb
You use could have to indicate that something was a possibility in the past, although it did not actually happen.
He could have made a fortune as a lawyer.
You could have been killed!
He did not regret saying what he did but felt that he could have expressed it differently.
4. modal verb
You use could to indicate that something is possibly true, or that it may possibly happen.
Doctors told him the disease could have been caused by years of working in smokeyclubs.
An improvement in living standards could be years away.
He was jailed five years ago and could be released next year.
5. modal verb
You use could not or couldn't to indicate that it is not possible that something is true.
They argued all the time and thought it couldn't be good for the baby.
Anne couldn't be expected to understand the situation.
He couldn't have been more than fourteen years old.
6. modal verb
You use could to talk about a possibility, ability, or opportunity that depends on other conditions.
Their hope was that a new and better country could be born.
I knew that if I spoke to Myra, I could get her to call my father.
7. modal verb
You use could when you are saying that one thing or situation resembles another.
The charming characters she draws look like they could have walked out of the 1920s.
8. modal verb
You use could, or couldn't in questions, when you are making offers and suggestions.
I could call the local doctor.
We need money right? We could go around and ask if people need odd jobs done or something.
'It's boring to walk all alone.'—'Couldn't you go for walks with your friends?'.
You could look for a career abroad where environmental jobs are better paid and moresecure.
It would be a good idea if you could do this exercise twice or three times on separatedays.
9. modal verb
You use could in questions when you are making a polite request or asking for permission to do something. Speakers sometimes use couldn't instead of 'could' to show that they realize that their request may be refused.
[politeness]
Could I stay tonight?
Could I speak to you in private a moment, John?
I wonder if some time I could have a word with you.
Sir, could you please come to the commanding officer's office?
Could we go outside just for a second?
He asked if he could have a cup of coffee.
Couldn't I watch you do it?
10. modal verb
People sometimes use structures with if I could or could I as polite ways of interrupting someone or of introducing what they are going to say next.
[formal, spoken, politeness]
Well, if I could just interject.
Could I stop you there?
Could I ask you if there have been any further problems?
First of all, could I begin with an apology for a mistake I made last week?
11. modal verb
You use could to say emphatically that someone ought to do the thing mentioned, especially when you are annoyed because they have not done it. You use why couldn't in questions to express your surprise or annoyance that someone has not done something.
[emphasis]
We've come to see you, so you could at least stand and greet us properly.
Idiot! You could have told me!
He could have written.
Why couldn't she have said something?
But why couldn't he tell me straight out?
12. modal verb
You use could when you are expressing strong feelings about something by saying that you feel as if you want to do the thing mentioned, although you do not do it.
[emphasis]
I could kill you! I swear I could!
'Welcome back' was all they said. I could have kissed them!
She could have screamed with tension.
13. modal verb
You use could after 'if' when talking about something that you do not have the ability or opportunityto do, but which you are imagining in order to consider what the likely consequences might be.
If I could afford it I'd have four television sets.
If only I could get some sleep, I would be able to cope.
14. modal verb
You use could not or couldn't with comparatives to emphasize that someone or something has as much as is possible of a particular quality. Forexample, if you say 'I couldn't be happier', you mean that you are extremely happy.
[emphasis]
The rest of the players are a great bunch of lads and I couldn't be happier.
Darling Neville, I couldn't be more pleased for you.
The news couldn't have come at a better time.
15. modal verb
In speech, you use how could in questions to emphasize that you feel strongly about something bad that has happened.
[emphasis]
How could you allow him to do something like that?
How could I have been so stupid?
How could she do this to me?
How could you have lied to us all these years?
16. convention
You say 'I couldn't' to refuse an offer of more food or drink.
[informal, spoken]
'More cake?'—'Oh no, I couldn't.'
17. could do with
English Easy Learning GrammarCan and couldBoth these verbs indicate ability in some respect. The use of could is usual in clausesthat contain a reference to past time. Morag can speak French quite ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarConditional clausesConditional sentences consist of a main clause and a conditional clause (sometimescalled an if-clause). The conditional clause usually begins with if ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarMay and mightBoth may and might can be used in requests and in expressions of possibility for thepresent and future. Might I ask you your name? The weather may/might ... Read more
could in British English
(kʊd)
verb(takes an infinitive withoutto or an implied infinitive)
1. used as an auxiliary to make the past tense of can1
2. used as an auxiliary, esp in polite requests or in conditional sentences, to makethe subjunctive mood of can1
could I see you tonight?
she'd telephone if she could
3.
used as an auxiliary to indicate suggestion of a course of action
you could take the car tomorrow if it's raining
4. (often foll by well)
used as an auxiliary to indicate a possibility
he could well be a spy
Word origin
Old English cūthe; influenced by would, should; see can1
could in American English
(kʊd)
auxiliary verb
1. pt. of
can1
he gave what he could give
2.
used as a modal auxiliary in verbal phrases with present or future time reference, generally equivalent to can1 in meaning and use, with the following functions:
a.
expressing esp. a shade of doubt or a smaller degree of ability or possibility
it could be so
b.
expressing permission
could I go?
c.
forming the present conditional
it would help if he could wait
d.
forming the past conditional
he would have left if he could
e.
expressing or suggesting politely less certainty than can1
could you wait?
verb intransitive
3. pt. of
can1
he gave what he could
verb transitive
4. pt. of; Obsolete
can1
Word origin
altered (infl. by would, shall auxiliary verb.) < ME coud < OE cuthe (akin to Goth kuntha, OHG konda, ON kunna), pt. of cunnan, to be able: see can1
Examples of 'could' in a sentence
could
We were watching knowing we could have done something special there again.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Then it goes back into something that could be anyone.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That could mean something as simple as scanning a document and emailing it straight out.
Computing (2010)
It would easily cover all the costs so they could do something really special.
The Sun (2017)
He insisted the badges could be used only with staff consent and that bosses get merely an overview of activity.
The Sun (2017)
Cops who seized him found he had cable ties and tape that could have been used as a blindfold or gag.
The Sun (2016)
The submarine could have been used to monitor the movement of Indian warships.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The brands could use alternatives, but plastic is cheap.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
People think, 'I could do that.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Others could use them as political capital.
Roper, Jon Democracy and its Critics - Anglo-American democratic thought in the nineteenth century (1989)
Who would have thought that something so soft could cause so much anxiety?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Though you could sit in something else and just gaze at it.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It had to be something they could connect with.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It could be a muscle or it could be something worse.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Yet we are getting a glimpse into something that could turn the dial on cancer treatment in the future.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Is that something we could afford?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Think about ways in which you could use the vast amount of energy which these sorts of emotions put at your disposal.
Ingham, Christine Life Without Work (1994)
Yet we easily could use another 150 workers today.
Christianity Today (2000)
Or he could use emergency powers to force companies to employ British workers.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Not only would the fishes get a tasty meal but your bones could be used as the basis for a new coral reef.
The Sun (2011)
You could try something elementary: loosen the laces or straps on your shoes.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
If we had filmed in America or something it could have been disastrous.
The Sun (2011)
If we do, it is certainly something we could use again.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I could then use some of the money to pay off the remaining mortgage on my main home.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Any fool could use it.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
I could see something like this coming and the incident with the three yellow cards was a disaster for him.
The Sun (2006)
We wept, we held each other and we each wished there was something we could say or do that would bring you back.
The Sun (2011)
I couldn't use the loo for a while.
The Sun (2008)
FOREIGN visitors who use A&E could soon have to pay as part of a crackdown on health tourism.
The Sun (2013)
For legal reasons, they couldn't use any of the original code.
John Cassidy DOT.CON (2001)
And, if necessary, drugs could be used to bring this risk factor under control.
Kowalski, Robert E The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure (1990)
He once said: 'I could get a kick out of two flies crawling up a window if it was a good race.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
English FA also fear he could use any approach from them to get a better deal from Portugal.
The Sun (2006)
In other languages
could
British English: could /kʊd/ VERB
If you say you could do something, you mean that you were able to do it.
I could see through the window.
American English: could
Arabic: يَسْتَطِيعُ
Brazilian Portuguese: conseguir
Chinese: 能
Croatian: moći
Czech: mohl
Danish: kunne
Dutch: kunnen
European Spanish: poder
Finnish: voida
French: avoir pu
German: könnte
Greek: μπορούσα
Italian: potevo, potevi, ecc.imperfect tense
Japanese: ･･･できた
Korean: 할 수 있었다
Norwegian: kunne
Polish: móc
European Portuguese: pretérito de can
Romanian: a putea
Russian: мочь
Latin American Spanish: poder
Swedish: kunde
Thai: สามารถ
Turkish: muktedir olmak
Ukrainian: могти
Vietnamese: có thể
All related terms of 'could'
can
You use can when you are mentioning a quality or fact about something which people may make use of if they want to.
could've
Could've is the usual spoken form of 'could have', when 'have' is an auxiliary verb .
could do with
If you say that you could do with something, you mean that you need it or would benefit from it.
could care less
feel (s) the least possible degree of interest, sympathy , etc.
sb could do worse
If you tell someone that they could do worse than do a particular thing, you are advising them that it would be quite a good thing to do.
the least I could/can do
You use expressions like ' that's the least that I can do ' to mean that you are very willing to do it, or to acknowledge someone's thanks .
as happy etc as can/could be
If someone or something is, for example , as happy as can be or as quiet as could be , they are extremely happy or extremely quiet.
before you could say Jack Robinson
said to mean that something happened very suddenly and quickly
couldn't care less could care less
If you say that you couldn't care less about someone or something, you are emphasizing that you are not interested in them or worried about them. In American English , you can also say that you could care less , with the same meaning .
someone could wring someone's neck
said to mean that a person is very angry with someone else
wish you could turn back the clock
to wish to return to an earlier period, for example because you think it was a very good time or because you would like the chance to live your life differently
you could cut the atmosphere with a knife
said to mean that the atmosphere in a place is extremely tense or unfriendly
you could have heard a pin drop you could hear a pin drop
You can say you could have heard a pin drop when a place is extremely quiet , especially because everyone is waiting for someone to speak or when someone has made a shocking remark .
you could have knocked me down with a feather
said to mean that you were extremely surprised or shocked by something
as far as the eye can see as far as the eye could see
If there is something as far as the eye can see , there is a lot of it and you cannot see anything else beyond it.
more...than you could shake a stick at more things than you can shake a stick at
If you say that there are more things than you could or can shake a stick at , you are emphasizing in a humorous way that there are a lot of them.
Chinese translation of 'could'
could
(kud)
aux vb
(referring to past)
we couldn't go to the party我们(們)没(沒)能去参(參)加聚会(會) (wǒmen méi néng qù cānjiā jùhuì)
last year we couldn't afford a holiday去年我们(們)度不起假 (qùnián wǒmen dù bù qǐ jià)
he could be very unkind他可能会(會)很刻薄 (tā kěnéng huì hěn kèbó)
he couldn't read or write他不会(會)读(讀)也不会(會)写(寫) (tā bù huì dú yě bù huì xiě)
we could hear him whistling我们(們)能听(聽)到他正在吹口哨 (wǒmen néng tīngdào tā zhèngzài chuī kǒushào)
she said she couldn't hear me她说(說)听(聽)不见(見)我说(說)的话(話) (tā shuō tīng bù jiàn wǒ shuō de huà)
(possibility)
he could be in the library他可能在图(圖)书(書)馆(館) (tā kěnéng zài túshūguǎn)
I couldn't be happier我再高兴(興)不过(過)了 (wǒ zài gāoxìng bùguò le)
he could be released next year他明年可能被释(釋)放 (tā míngnián kěnéng bèi shìfàng)
you could have been killed!可能你连(連)命都没(沒)了！ (kěnéng nǐ lián mìng dōu méile!)
the accident could have been caused by an oil leak事故可能是由石油泄(洩)漏引起的 (shìgù kěnéng shì yóu shíyóu xièlòu yǐnqǐ de)
(in conditionals with "if")
if we had more time, I could finish this如果有更多时(時)间(間)，我能够(夠)完成的 (rúguǒ yǒu gèng duō shíjiān, wǒ nénggòu wánchéng de)
we'd have a holiday, if we could afford it如果能支付得起的话(話)，我们(們)就去度假了 (rúguǒ néng zhīfù de qǐ de huà, wǒmen jiù qù dùjià le)
(in offers, suggestions, requests) 可以 (kěyǐ)
I could call a doctor我可以叫个(個)医(醫)生 (wǒ kěyǐ jiào gè yīshēng)
we could always go to the cinema我们(們)还(還)是可以去看电(電)影 (wǒmen háishì kěyǐ qù kàn diànyǐng)
couldn't you give him a call?你可不可以给(給)他打个(個)电(電)话(話)？ (nǐ kě bù kěyǐ gěi tā dǎ gè diànhuà?)
could I borrow the car?我可以借一下车(車)吗(嗎)？ (wǒ kěyǐ jiè yīxià chē ma?)
if I could just interrupt you for a minute我是否可以打扰(擾)你一小会(會)儿(兒) (wǒ shìfǒu kěyǐ dǎrǎo nǐ yī xiǎo huìr)
he asked if he could make a phone call他问(問)是否可以打个(個)电(電)话(話) (tā wèn shìfǒu kěyǐ dǎ gè diànhuà)
(emphatic)
you could at least be polite!你至少可以礼(禮)貌点(點)儿(兒)！ (nǐ zhìshǎo kěyǐ lǐmào diǎnr!)
you could have told me!你早该(該)告诉(訴)我！ (nǐ zǎo gāi gàosù wǒ!)
I could scream!我真想大叫！ (wǒ zhēn xiǎng dàjiào!)
how could you have lied to me?你怎么(麼)能向我撒谎(謊)呢？ (nǐ zěnme néng xiàng wǒ sāhuǎng ne?)
Seecan
All related terms of 'could'
can 1
( for food, drinks ) 罐头(頭) guàntou [ 个(個) gè ] ( with lid ) 容器 róngqì ( for petrol, oil ) 罐 guàn [ 个(個) gè ] ⇒ I had to take a can to the garage to get some petrol. → 我不得不带个罐去加油站买汽油。 Wǒ bùdebù dài gè guàn qù jiāyóuzhàn mǎi qìyóu.
I could scream!
我真想大叫！ wǒ zhēn xiǎng dàjiào!
anyone could do it
任何人都能做到 rènhé rén dōunéng zuòdào
I could murder him!
我真该(該)杀(殺)了他！ wǒ zhēn gāi shāle tā!
could I borrow the car?
我可以借一下车(車)吗(嗎)？ wǒ kěyǐ jiè yīxià chē ma?
he could be very unkind
他可能会(會)很刻薄 tā kěnéng huì hěn kèbó
I could call a doctor
我可以叫个(個)医(醫)生 wǒ kěyǐ jiào gè yīshēng
I could do it blindfold
我闭(閉)着(著)眼睛都能做 wǒ bìzhe yǎnjīng dōu néng zuò
you could have told me!
你早该(該)告诉(訴)我！ nǐ zǎo gāi gàosù wǒ!
couldn't
could not
he could be in the library
他可能在图(圖)书(書)馆(館) tā kěnéng zài túshūguǎn
I could hardly contain myself
我几(幾)乎不能控制自己 wǒ jīhū bùnéng kòngzhì zìjǐ
I could have kicked myself!
( inf ) 我真后(後)悔！ Wǒ zhēn hòuhuǐ!
we could hear him whistling
我们(們)能听(聽)到他正在吹口哨 wǒmen néng tīngdào tā zhèngzài chuī kǒushào
you could have been killed!
可能你连(連)命都没(沒)了！ kěnéng nǐ lián mìng dōu méile!
all I could do was apologize
我所能做的全部就是道歉 wǒ suǒ néng zuò de quánbù jiùshì dàoqiàn