could

could
kud
negative short form - couldn't; verb
1) (past tense of can: They asked if I could drive a car; I said I couldn't; She asked if she could go.) pasado del verbo ``poder''
2) (used to express a possibility: I could go but I'm not going to; I could do it next week if you helped me.) para expresar posibilidad
•
could vb
she could swim when she was four sabía nadar a los cuatro años
I couldn't open the door no pude abrir la puerta
could you help me? ¿me podrías ayudar?
Es el pasado y el potencial de can
could
tr[kʊd]
past
1→ link=cancan{
auxiliar
1 (asking permission) poder
■ could I ask you a question? ¿podría hacerte una pregunta?
■ could I use your 'phone? ¿me dejas llamar por teléfono?
2 (requests) poder
■ could I see the manager? ¿podría ver al director?
■ could you close the door, please? ¿te importa cerrar la puerta?
3 (possibility) poder
■ I could fit you in on Monday te podría hacer un hueco el lunes
■ it could rain podría llover
■ that could be why ... quizá sea por eso que ...
■ they could have missed the train puede que hayan perdido el tren
■ it could have dropped out of your bag a lo mejor se te ha caído del bolso
■ it couldn't have been Glen, he's on holiday no pudo ser Glen, está de vacaciones
4 (suggestions) poder
■ you could always try next door podrías probar en la casa de al lado
5 (conditional use)
■ I'm so hungry I could eat a horse tengo tanta hambre que me comería un buey
■ honestly, I could have hit her de verdad, le hubiera pegado
■ you could have told me! ¡podías habérmelo dicho!
\
SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALL
could do with something necesitar algo
■ I could do with a coffee necesito un café
■ this towel could do with a wash hay que lavar esta toalla
could ['kʊd] can
could
aux.
(Verbo modal para indicar la capacidad)
pret.
(Preterito definido de "can")
• de can pret.
kʊd
modal verb
1) past of can III
2) (indicating possibility) poder*

if I took a taxi, I could get there on time — si tomara un taxi, podría llegar a tiempo

I would help you if I could — te ayudaría si pudiera

you could have killed us all! — podrías or podías habernos matado a todos!

you could be right — puede (ser) que tengas razón

she couldn't have got there before six even if she'd tried — no podría haber llegado antes de las seis aunque lo hubiera intentado

they couldn't be happier — están contentos a más no poder

3)
a) (asking permission)

could I use your bathroom? — ¿podría or me permitiría pasar al baño?

b) (in requests)

could you sign here please? — ¿quiere firmar aquí, por favor?

4)
a) (in suggestions) poder*

you could try doing it this way — podrías tratar de hacerlo de esta manera

you could at least apologize! — al menos podrías pedir perdón!

b) (indicating strong desire) poder*

I could have killed her — la hubiera matado, la podría or podía haber matado

[kʊd]
VB see can I, 1)
See:
ABLE, CAN in able
* * *
[kʊd]
modal verb
1) past of can III
2) (indicating possibility) poder*

if I took a taxi, I could get there on time — si tomara un taxi, podría llegar a tiempo

I would help you if I could — te ayudaría si pudiera

you could have killed us all! — podrías or podías habernos matado a todos!

you could be right — puede (ser) que tengas razón

she couldn't have got there before six even if she'd tried — no podría haber llegado antes de las seis aunque lo hubiera intentado

they couldn't be happier — están contentos a más no poder

3)
a) (asking permission)

could I use your bathroom? — ¿podría or me permitiría pasar al baño?

b) (in requests)

could you sign here please? — ¿quiere firmar aquí, por favor?

4)
a) (in suggestions) poder*

you could try doing it this way — podrías tratar de hacerlo de esta manera

you could at least apologize! — al menos podrías pedir perdón!

b) (indicating strong desire) poder*

I could have killed her — la hubiera matado, la podría or podía haber matado


English-spanish dictionary. 2013.

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Mira otros diccionarios:

  • could — [ weak kəd, strong kud ] modal verb *** Could is usually followed by an infinitive without to : I m glad you could come. Sometimes it is used without a following infinitive: I came as quickly as I could. Could does not change its form, so the… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • could — W1S1 [kəd strong kud] modal v negative short form couldn t ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(past ability)¦ 2¦(possibility)¦ 3¦(emphasizing your feelings)¦ 4¦(requesting)¦ 5¦(suggesting)¦ 6¦(annoyance)¦ 7 couldn t be better/worse/more pleased etc 8 I couldn t …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • could — [kood] v.aux. [altered (infl. by WOULD, SHOULD) < ME coud < OE cuthe (akin to Goth kuntha, OHG konda, ON kunna), pt. of cunnan, to be able: see CAN1] 1. pt. of CAN1 [he gave what he could give] 2 …   English World dictionary

  • could — modal auxiliary. 1. See can. It functions as (1) the past tense of can, as in We could see for miles, (2) as a conditional equivalent to would be able to, as in I could take you in the car if you like, and (3) as a more tentative form of can in… …   Modern English usage

  • Could — (k??d), imp. of {Can}. [OF. coude. The l was inserted by mistake, under the influence of should and would.] Was, should be, or would be, able, capable, or susceptible. Used as an auxiliary, in the past tense or in the conditional present. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • could've — [kood′əv] contraction could have * * * …   Universalium

  • could've — (could have) v. used to express the possibility that one may have been able to do something …   English contemporary dictionary

  • could — could; could·est; …   English syllables

  • could've — [kood′əv] contraction could have …   English World dictionary

  • could|n't — «KUD uhnt», could not …   Useful english dictionary

  • could — O.E. cuðe, pt. of cunnan to be able (see CAN (Cf. can) (v.)); ending changed 14c. to standard English d(e). The excrescent l was added 15c. 16c. on model of would, should, where it is historical …   Etymology dictionary

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