COULD definition: 1. past simple of "can", used to talk about what someone or something was able or allowed to do…. Learn more.

2011年4月3日 · The meaning of COULD is —used in auxiliary function in the past, in the past conditional, and as an alternative to can suggesting less force or certainty or as a polite form in the present. How to use could in a sentence.

2023年3月23日 · When you’re talking about the possibility of something happening in the future, use can if something is very likely to happen. Could, on the other hand, should be used for things that have an equal chance of not happening.

We use could to refer to single events that happened in the past, with verbs of the senses (smell, taste, see, hear, touch, etc.) and mental processes (think, believe, remember, understand …

Could and would are related, but they mean different things. Could expresses possibility, while would expresses certainty and intent. A good way to remember the differences between these two words is simply to bring each word back to its root verb.

We use could to show that something is possible, but not certain: They could come by car. (= Maybe they will come by car.) They could be at home. (= Maybe they are at home.) We use can to make general statements about what is possible: It can be very cold here in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold here in winter.) You can easily get lost in ...

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.