could:

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Pocket Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary © 2005 Oxford University Press:

could modal aux

1. (be able to) pouvoir;
   I couldn't move je ne pouvais pas bouger;
   she couldn't come yesterday elle n'a pas pu venir hier;

2. (know how to) savoir;
   he couldn't swim il ne savait pas nager;
   she ~ speak four languages elle parlait quatre langues;

3. (permission, requests, suggestions) pouvoir;
   we ~ only go out at weekends nous ne pouvions sortir or nous n'avions le droit de sortir que le week-end;
   ~ I speak to Annie? est-ce que je pourrais parler à Annie?;
   ~ you help me? pourrais-tu m'aider?;

4. (with verbs of perception) I couldn't see a thing je n'y voyais rien;
   they couldn't understand me ils ne me comprenaient pas;
   we ~ hear them laughing on les entendait rire;

5. you ~ have died tu aurais pu mourir;
   they ~ have warned us ils auraient pu nous prévenir;
   I ~ be wrong je me trompe peut-être;
   if only I ~ start again si seulement je pouvais tout recommencer.

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'could' found in these entries:

English:

any - anybody - anytime - appreciate - as - by - do - easily - except - just - kick - least - mind - near - pick - possibly - trouble - wonder - worse

French:

discrétion - être - falloir - invisible - logique - loin - mener - mordre - partir - pouvoir - préciser - seul - simplicité - tenir - tranquillement - transparence - voilà

could: WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2009

Principal Translations/Principales traductions
could	v past p	(past tense of can)	pouvoir
When Samantha was a girl, she could climb tall trees.
Quand Samantha était enfant, elle pouvait grimper en haut de n'importe quel arbre.
could	v aux	(polite request) demande polie	pouvoir vtr ⇒
Note: Could se traduit en général par un conditionnel français.
Could you hold this for me, please?
Pourriez-vous me tenir ça, s'il-vous-plaît ?
could	v aux	(ability) capacité	pouvoir vtr ⇒
I could go to the store if I wanted to.
Je pourrais aller au magasin, si je voulais.
Additional Translations/Traductions supplémentaires
could	v aux	(possibility) éventualité	pouvoir vtr ⇒
He could be right.
Il pourrait bien avoir raison.
could	v aux	(polite suggestion) suggestion	pouvoir vtr ⇒
You could call them and ask.
Tu pourrais les appeler pour leur demander.
Améliorer les traductions "{0}" ci-dessus.

Compound Forms/Formes composées
could one ...? (is it possible for one to)		clause	peut-on
what could be			ce qui pourrait être
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Forums WR : discussions dont le titre comprend le mot(s) "could".

... could you remind them about it?
...could have been awarded a prize
...so high she could not fail to burn her wings
'could have' - subjunctive
'In which' et 'could'
(en=>fr) i wish i could feel no pain
"(it was a long time before) she could get herself attended to."
"A mist began to fall and they could scarcely see the path in front of them"
"Could believe"
"full of could-haves and should-haves"
"I could be better, I could be worse, I mean I've got air in my lungs..."
"I could not find them in your website"
"in ways he could never have imagined"
"it could be"
"Obviously, I did lie about my homework, but here it is now. Could you please check for mistakes in it?"
"one could ever have"
"there could be"
"they could not find the treasure" ?
a lot could change
a more unobjectionable tenant could hardly offer
a new law could be passed
a song could ever be like
A word from you could have stopped it.
Ah, if only it could...
all dressed up in a gown so form fitting he could map out every inch of her
all I could remember happening
all I could think about was my mother
any chance someone could check this for me?
any information you could give me
Anything could happen!
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