could

CEFRA1

/kəd/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    Used to say that something was possible or someone was able to do it.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    conditional of can, Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact).

Examples

  • I was amazed at the amount he could eat.

  • If the world weren't in the shape it is now, I could trust anyone.

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4

Also pronounced

  • /kuːld/
  • /kʊ(l)d/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. conditional of can

  2. Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact).

  3. Used to politely ask for permission to do something.

More examples

In context

  • Let's consider the worst that could happen.

  • Before I was blind, I could see very well.

  • When I was young everybody could easily find a job in a matter of days.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

When he was younger, he blank run a mile in under five minutes.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English coude, couthe, cuthe, from Old English cūþe, past indicative and past subjunctive form of cunnan (“to be able”) (compare related cūþ, whence English couth). Cognate with German konnte, Swedish kunde. The -l- in the spelling was added in the early 16th century by analogy with should and would; this analogy formerly affected the pronunciation as well and was probably assisted by the tendency for /l/ to be lost in those words (and so not written, leading to shudd, wode, etc).