English Reference
Idiom idiom

a couple of sth


This means two of something, or sometimes a small number like two or three. You use it to talk about a small quantity of things.


SIMPLE

“I need a couple of minutes to finish this.”

CONTEXTUAL

“Could you please bring me a couple of chairs from the other room for our guests?”

COMPLEX

“After a couple of failed attempts to fix the engine, the mechanic finally identified the underlying issue and completed the repair.”

Last updated April 22, 2026