coulda
English edit
Etymology edit
Written form of a reduction of could have.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
coulda
- (colloquial) Contraction of could have.
- You coulda told him the truth.
Usage notes edit
Like other similarly formed contractions, speakers only use coulda to replace the modal sense of could have, i.e. where have precedes a past participle: We coulda seen each other. They do not use it to replace could followed by the verb have used lexically, e.g. *We coulda coffee. See also gonna.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Jamaican Creole edit
Etymology edit
Verb edit
coulda
- could
- Yuh coulda mek dem guh home.
- You could let them go home.