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1 could
kudnegative 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.) 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 vbcould you help me? ¿me podrías ayudar?tr[kʊd]1→ link=can can{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■ that could be why... quizá sea por eso que...■ it couldn't have been Glen, he's on holiday no pudo ser Glen, está de vacaciones4 (suggestions) poder■ honestly, I could have hit her de verdad, le hubiera pegado■ you could have told me! ¡podías habérmelo dicho!\SMALLIDIOMATIC EXPRESSION/SMALLcould do with something necesitar algoaux.pret.(Preterito definido de "can")• de can pret.kʊd2) ( indicating possibility) poder*if I took a taxi, I could get there on time — si tomara un taxi, podría llegar a tiempo
you could have killed us all! — podrías or podías habernos matado a todos!
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
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*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]2) ( indicating possibility) poder*if I took a taxi, I could get there on time — si tomara un taxi, podría llegar a tiempo
you could have killed us all! — podrías or podías habernos matado a todos!
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
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*b) ( indicating strong desire) poder*I could have killed her — la hubiera matado, la podría or podía haber matado
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2 could
pp.participio pasado del verbo can.pt.pretérito del verbo CAN.va.1 [era capaz de: pasado de "can" ]I could swim well at that age a esa edad nadaba muy bienI could hear them talking los oía hablarI could have tried harder podía haberme esforzado máshe couldn't have been kinder fue de lo más amableI could have hit him! ¡me dieron ganas de pegarle! (I was so angry)you could have warned me! ¡me podías haber avisado!, ¡haberme avisado!could you get me some water? ¿me puedes traer un poco de agua?could you be quiet please? ¿te podrías callar, por favor?could I borrow your newspaper? ¿me prestas el periódico?3 (en condicional, sugerencias)(it) could be podría serif I had more money, I could buy a new car si tuviera más dinero podría comprarme un coche nuevoyou could go to the beach podrías ir a la playaEn el inglés hablado, y en el escrito en estilo coloquial, la forma negativa could not se transforma en couldn't.(pt & pp coulded) -
3 could've
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4 could do with something
necesitar algo -
5 could have
(used to express a possibility in the past: We could have gone, but we didn't.) -
6 could use
v.necesitar. -
7 he etc could be doing with / could do with
(it would be better if I, he etc had or did (something): I could do with a cup of coffee.) apetecerEnglish-spanish dictionary > he etc could be doing with / could do with
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8 you could cut the atmosphere with a knife
el ambiente se podía cortar con un cuchillose mascaba or respiraba la tensión en el ambienteEnglish-spanish dictionary > you could cut the atmosphere with a knife
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9 be so hungry one could to eat a horse
English-spanish dictionary > be so hungry one could to eat a horse
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10 if wishes could come true, anything would be possible
if wishes could come true, anything would be possibleexpr.• si los deseos se hicieran realidad todo sería posible expr.English-spanish dictionary > if wishes could come true, anything would be possible
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11 would that I could
ojalá pudiera -
12 you could've heard a pin drop
se podía oír el vuelo de una mosca -
13 you could've knocked me down with a feather
me quedé patidifuso,-aEnglish-spanish dictionary > you could've knocked me down with a feather
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14 a soup so thick that you could stand a spoon up in it
English-spanish dictionary > a soup so thick that you could stand a spoon up in it
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15 before you could say knife
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16 he could charm the birds out of the trees
English-spanish dictionary > he could charm the birds out of the trees
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17 he could talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey
(Brit) * habla hasta por los codos *English-spanish dictionary > he could talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey
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18 he could talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey
(Brit) * habla hasta por los codos *English-spanish dictionary > he could talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey
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19 I could do it with one hand tied behind my back
English-spanish dictionary > I could do it with one hand tied behind my back
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20 I wouldn't trust him an inch or as far as I could throw him
English-spanish dictionary > I wouldn't trust him an inch or as far as I could throw him
См. также в других словарях:
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