couple
/ˈkʌpl/noun
उच्चारण कपल
जोड़ी; कुछ; दंपती
Core word
- 1
[sing.] a ~ (of sth)
two people or things; a few; two people who are seen together, especially if they are married
जोड़ी; कुछ; दंपती
- a couple of days
- a married couple
- The young couple moved into a small flat near the station.
+ 2 more examples
- I'll be back in a couple of minutes.
- A couple of friends came over to watch the match.
- 1
[T]
to join together two parts of something; (coupled with) together with
जोड़ना
- Hard work coupled with luck.
- Couple the two carriages before the train leaves.
- She coupled her salary with a part-time income to pay for her studies.
+ 2 more examples
- The two engines were coupled together to pull the long train.
- His wit, coupled with his charm, made him very popular.
§Structures (grammar patterns) 4
a couple of + plural noun
Means two or a small number. 'Of' is needed before the noun, and the verb agrees with the noun that follows.
इसका अर्थ दो या थोड़े-से है। संज्ञा से पहले 'of' ज़रूरी है, और verb बाद वाली संज्ञा के अनुसार आती है।
- I need a couple of pens for the exam.
- A couple of students are absent today.
couple as a group noun (singular or plural verb)
For two people in a relationship, British English accepts a singular verb for the pair as one unit and a plural verb when thinking of the two individuals.
रिश्ते में बँधे दो व्यक्तियों के लिए ब्रिटिश अंग्रेज़ी जोड़े को एक इकाई मानने पर singular और दो अलग व्यक्ति मानने पर plural verb स्वीकार करती है।
- The couple was married in Jaipur.
- The couple are planning to move to Pune.
couple + with (verb, formal)
As a verb it means to join or combine. 'Coupled with' means together with.
क्रिया के रूप में इसका अर्थ जोड़ना है; 'coupled with' का अर्थ है 'के साथ मिलकर'।
- Heavy rain, coupled with high winds, damaged the crops.
- The engine is coupled to the generator.
a couple + noun (informal, without of)
In informal American English 'a couple hours' is heard, but exams and writing expect 'a couple of hours'.
अनौपचारिक अमेरिकी अंग्रेज़ी में 'a couple hours' सुनाई देता है, पर परीक्षा और लेखन में 'a couple of hours' ही अपेक्षित है।
- It took us a couple of hours to reach Agra.
+Collocations 4
adjective + couple
marriedyoungelderlyhappynewlywed
- The newlywed couple received blessings from the elders.
verb + couple
invitemeetseparatecongratulatemake
- They make a lovely couple.
a couple of + noun
daysweeksminutesmistakesquestions
- Wait a couple of minutes, please.
couple + prepositions
couple withcouple tocouple upin couples
- The children entered the hall in couples.
“More examples 5
- An elderly couple sat on the bench near the temple.
एक बुज़ुर्ग दंपती मंदिर के पास की बेंच पर बैठा था।
- Radhika scored a couple of marks less than the topper.
राधिका के topper से दो-एक अंक कम आए।
- The couple celebrated their silver jubilee with their grandchildren.
दंपती ने अपनी रजत जयंती नाती-पोतों के साथ मनाई।
- I have read a couple of chapters since morning.
मैंने सुबह से दो-एक अध्याय पढ़े हैं।
- Poor planning coupled with bad weather ruined the picnic.
ख़राब योजना और ख़राब मौसम ने मिलकर पिकनिक बिगाड़ दी।
!Common mistakes 2
✗ I bought a couple pencils.
✓ I bought a couple of pencils.
In careful English 'a couple' needs 'of' before the noun.
सावधान अंग्रेज़ी में संज्ञा से पहले 'a couple' के साथ 'of' लगाना ज़रूरी है।
✗ A couple of student were absent from the class.
✓ A couple of students were absent from the class.
After 'a couple of' the noun must be plural, and the verb is plural too.
'A couple of' के बाद संज्ञा बहुवचन में आती है और verb भी बहुवचन की होती है।
§Grammar and usage
A couple of + plural noun ('a couple of books'); couple can take a plural verb when it means two people ('The couple are happy').
A couple of + plural noun ('a couple of books'); दो लोगों के अर्थ में couple plural verb ले सकता है ('The couple are happy')।
Usage: coupled with (combined with).
प्रयोग में coupled with (के साथ मिलकर)।