Usage examples of "couldn't" in English with translation to French

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I couldn't stop laughing. Je ne pouvais m'empêcher de rire.
He couldn't be good for you. Il ne saurait être bon pour toi.
He couldn't help himself. Il ne pouvait pas s'en empêcher.
Tommy couldn't answer the last question. Tommy n'a pas su répondre à la dernière question.
Couldn't we cuddle, instead? On pourrait pas faire des câlins, plutôt ?
Jane skipped the questions she couldn't answer. Jane a sauté les questions auxquelles elle ne savait pas répondre.
We couldn't convince him. Nous n'avons pas pu le convaincre.
"If my kid couldn't speak Shanghainese, I’d slap him silly." the man said. « Si mon gamin ne savait pas parler shanghaïen, je lui donnerais une claque à cet idiot. » dit l'homme.
That couldn't be helped. On n'y pouvait rien.
I knew I had to tell him the truth but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Je savais que je devais lui dire la vérité, mais je n'arrivais pas à m'y résoudre.
I couldn't control my tears. Je n'ai pas pu contrôler mes larmes.
I didn't know the city, and what's more, I couldn't speak a word of the language. Je ne connaissais pas la ville, et qui plus est, je ne savais pas un mot de la langue.
I couldn't make myself understood. Je ne pouvais pas me faire comprendre.
I'd never been to that city before, and even worse, I couldn't speak a word of the language. Je ne connaissais pas la ville, et qui plus est, je ne savais pas un mot de la langue.
I couldn't find his house. Je ne pus trouver sa maison.
I couldn't say when exactly in my life it occurred to me that I would be a pilot someday. Je ne saurais pas dire quand exactement dans ma vie il m’est venu à l’esprit que je serais pilote un jour.
He couldn't corral his anger. Il n'a pas pu contrôler sa colère.
I couldn't control my anger. Je ne pouvais pas contrôler ma colère.
I couldn't sleep all night. Je n'ai pas pu dormir de toute la nuit.
I couldn't help but laugh. Je ne pouvais m'empêcher de rire.
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