# couldn't

CEFR A1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/couldnt
Updated: 2026-05-03

## Definition

the short way to say 'could not'. You use it to say that someone was not able to do something in the past.

For teachers: the contracted form of 'could not'. Expresses a past inability, impossibility, or a polite refusal.

## Examples

- I couldn't find my keys this morning.
- The team played well, but they couldn't score a goal before the final whistle.
- Despite the investigator's best efforts to locate the original documents, he couldn't find any evidence that the meeting had ever taken place.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I couldn't to go" but "I couldn't go" — The modal 'couldn't' is followed by the bare infinitive; do not use 'to' before the main verb.

## Usage notes

- A modal contraction followed by the base form of a verb without 'to'.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.