a couple of
a couple of — idiom
1. A phrase used before a plural noun to mean an approximate small number of people
A phrase used before a plural noun to mean an approximate small number of people or things — somewhere around two or three, but not an exact count.
Asher asked if he could borrow a couple of dollars for the bus.
collocation: a couple of + [plural noun]
Kemi said she would be ready to leave in a couple of minutes.
The garden centre sold a couple of different types of rose bushes.
Rania bought a couple of new shirts for her trip to Japan.
Felix and his neighbours had a couple of meetings about the garden wall.
- a few
more neutral about the exact number; can mean three or more
- several
suggests more than two, often four or more
- two or three
explicitly names the range instead of using an idiom
- many
suggests a large quantity rather than a small one
文法句型
a couple of + [plural noun]
用法筆記
Unlike 'several' or 'a few', this phrase strongly suggests the number is close to two. It is most common in informal and everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
2. A phrase used before a plural noun to indicate exactly two items or people, espe
A phrase used before a plural noun to indicate exactly two items or people, especially when they form a natural pair or are considered together in a specific situation.
Camille ordered a couple of coffees and sat down to wait for her friend.
specifies exactly two in context: one for each person
Dewi bought a couple of tickets for the Saturday night show.
The waiter placed a couple of glasses and a bottle of water on the table.
Haruto picked a couple of ripe apples from the basket and handed one to his sister.
Valentina wrote a couple of sentences and then crossed out the second one.
文法句型
a couple of + [plural noun]
用法筆記
This sense is distinguished from sense 1 ('SEVERAL') by its focus on exactness and pairing. If the number could easily be three or more, use the SEVERAL sense instead. Context clues such as 'one for each person' or 'both of them' signal this sense.