How do you use "could" in a sentence?

Could you pass the salt, please? She could speak three languages by the age of ten. It could be the best decision you ever make.

could

Vocabulary Word BritishAmerican ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Significado: Past tense of can; used to express possibility or make polite requests

能够（过去式），可能，请

podía, podría

〜できた、〜かもしれない、〜していただけますか

~할 수 있었다, ~일지도 모른다, ~해 주시겠습니까

'Could' is the past tense of 'can' and is used to express past ability ('I could swim when I was five'), possibility ('It could rain later'), polite requests ('Could you help me?'), and conditional situations ('I could help if you asked'). It is softer and more polite than 'can' in requests.

「could」是「can」的过去式，用于表达过去的能力（「I could swim when I was five」）、可能性（「It could rain later」）、礼貌请求（「Could you help me?」）和条件情况（「I could help if you asked」）。在请求中，它比「can」更委婉礼貌。

«Could» es el pasado de «can» y se usa para expresar habilidad pasada («I could swim when I was five»), posibilidad («It could rain later»), peticiones corteses («Could you help me?»), y situaciones condicionales («I could help if you asked»). Es más suave y cortés que «can» en las peticiones.

「could」は「can」の過去形で、過去の能力（「I could swim when I was five」）、可能性（「It could rain later」）、丁寧な依頼（「Could you help me?」）、条件的状況（「I could help if you asked」）を表すのに使われます。依頼では「can」より柔らかく丁寧です。

'Could'는 'can'의 과거형으로, 과거의 능력('I could swim when I was five'), 가능성('It could rain later'), 정중한 요청('Could you help me?'), 가정 상황('I could help if you asked')을 표현하는 데 사용됩니다. 요청할 때 'can'보다 부드럽고 정중한 느낌을 줍니다.

Ejemplos

Could you pass the salt, please?
请把盐递给我好吗？
¿Podrías pasarme la sal, por favor?
塩を取っていただけますか？
소금을 건네주시겠어요?
She could speak three languages by the age of ten.
她十岁时就能说三种语言。
Ella podía hablar tres idiomas a los diez años.
彼女は10歳で3か国語を話すことができた。
그녀는 열 살에 3개 국어를 할 수 있었다.
It could be the best decision you ever make.
这可能是你做过的最好的决定。
Podría ser la mejor decisión que tomes.
それはあなたが今まで下した最高の決断になるかもしれない。
그것은 당신이 내린 최고의 결정이 될 수도 있다.

Pronunciación

Guía de uso

Contexto: general

Tono: neutral

Origen e historia

From Old English 'cūðe', past tense of 'cunnan' (to know how), from Proto-Germanic *kunþē. Originally meant 'knew' or 'was able to'; its purely conditional sense developed during Middle English.

Contexto cultural

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

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