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1 could
[ forma debole kəd] [ forma forte kʊd]it could be that... — potrebbe essere che
could be — colloq. forse
"did she know?" - "no, how could she?" — "lo sapeva?" - "no, come avrebbe potuto?"
you couldn't come earlier, could you? — non potresti arrivare prima, vero?
6) (expressing likelihood, assumption)he couldn't be more than 10 years old — non dovrebbe avere o non avrà più di 10 anni
••I could murder him! — colloq. l'ammazzerei!
Note:Could is formally the past tense and the conditional of can. As the past tense of can, could is translated by the appropriate past tense in the indicative: I couldn't leave the children = non potevo lasciare i bambini / non potei lasciare i bambini; few people could read or write = poche persone sapevano leggere o scrivere; he couldn't sleep for weeks = non è riuscito a dormire per settimane; we could hear them laughing = li sentivamo ridere. When preceded by and dependent on a verb in the past tense, could + verb is translated by the past conditional of the appropriate Italian verb: I was sure you could do it = ero sicuro che saresti riuscito a farlo. In reported speech, could is translated by the appropriate past tense, according to the rules of Italian grammar (see the note 1.dire): she never told us she could speak Chinese = non ci ha mai detto che sapeva parlare il cinese. - For more examples, particular usages and all other uses of could see the entry below* * *[kud]negative short form - couldn't; verb1) (past tense of can: They asked if I could drive a car; I said I couldn't; She asked if she could go.) potere2) (used to express a possibility: I could go but I'm not going to; I could do it next week if you helped me.) potere•* * *[ forma debole kəd] [ forma forte kʊd]it could be that... — potrebbe essere che
could be — colloq. forse
"did she know?" - "no, how could she?" — "lo sapeva?" - "no, come avrebbe potuto?"
you couldn't come earlier, could you? — non potresti arrivare prima, vero?
6) (expressing likelihood, assumption)he couldn't be more than 10 years old — non dovrebbe avere o non avrà più di 10 anni
••I could murder him! — colloq. l'ammazzerei!
Note:Could is formally the past tense and the conditional of can. As the past tense of can, could is translated by the appropriate past tense in the indicative: I couldn't leave the children = non potevo lasciare i bambini / non potei lasciare i bambini; few people could read or write = poche persone sapevano leggere o scrivere; he couldn't sleep for weeks = non è riuscito a dormire per settimane; we could hear them laughing = li sentivamo ridere. When preceded by and dependent on a verb in the past tense, could + verb is translated by the past conditional of the appropriate Italian verb: I was sure you could do it = ero sicuro che saresti riuscito a farlo. In reported speech, could is translated by the appropriate past tense, according to the rules of Italian grammar (see the note 1.dire): she never told us she could speak Chinese = non ci ha mai detto che sapeva parlare il cinese. - For more examples, particular usages and all other uses of could see the entry below -
2 might
I [maɪt]"will you come?" - "I might" — "vieni?" - "può darsi"
try as I might, I can't do it — per quanto ci provi, non riesco a farlo
3) (in sequence of tenses, in reported speech)4) form. (when making requests)if I might — se possibile, se posso
might I ask who's calling? — con chi sto parlando, per favore?
and who, might I ask, are you? o and who might you be? — (aggressive) e potrei sapere chi è lei?
6) (when making statement, argument)one might argue o it might be argued that si potrebbe sostenere che; as you o one might expect come ci si potrebbe aspettare; as you might imagine — come puoi immaginare
7) (expressing reproach, irritation)II [maɪt]I might have known o guessed! avrei dovuto aspettarmelo o immaginarlo! he might at least apologize! potrebbe almeno scusarsi! you might have warned me! — avresti potuto avvisarmi!
1) (power) potere m., potenza f.2) (physical strength) forza f., potenza f.* * *I(-)1) (past tense of may: I thought I might find you here; He might come if you offered him a meal.)2) (used instead of `may', eg to make a possibility seem less likely, or a request for permission more polite: He might win if he tries hard; Might I speak to you for a few minutes, please?)3) (used in suggesting that a person is not doing what he should: You might help me clean the car!)•- might have
- I might have known II(power or strength: The might of the opposing army was too great for us.)- mighty- mightily
- mightiness* * *I [maɪt]"will you come?" - "I might" — "vieni?" - "può darsi"
try as I might, I can't do it — per quanto ci provi, non riesco a farlo
3) (in sequence of tenses, in reported speech)4) form. (when making requests)if I might — se possibile, se posso
might I ask who's calling? — con chi sto parlando, per favore?
and who, might I ask, are you? o and who might you be? — (aggressive) e potrei sapere chi è lei?
6) (when making statement, argument)one might argue o it might be argued that si potrebbe sostenere che; as you o one might expect come ci si potrebbe aspettare; as you might imagine — come puoi immaginare
7) (expressing reproach, irritation)II [maɪt]I might have known o guessed! avrei dovuto aspettarmelo o immaginarlo! he might at least apologize! potrebbe almeno scusarsi! you might have warned me! — avresti potuto avvisarmi!
1) (power) potere m., potenza f.2) (physical strength) forza f., potenza f.
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