couple
gb/kˈʌpəl/ us/kˈʌpəl/
A2
English
~ 800
pár, szerelmespár, összekapcsol, összeköt, párosul, párosít
NOUN
A2
1
pár
A2
szerelmespár
B1
Usage pattern:
[a couple] [verb]
The couple walked hand in hand along the beach.
A pár kézen fogva sétált a tengerparton.
They are a lovely couple who have been together for ten years.
Nagyon kedves pár, és már tíz éve együtt vannak.
The famous couple announced their engagement yesterday.
Learner examples
The couple is sitting in the park.
A pár a parkban ül.
A young couple lives next door.
Egy fiatal pár lakik a szomszédban.
My parents are a happy couple.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'couple' with 'pair' when talking about non-romantic contexts; 'couple' usually refers to people in a relationship in everyday speech.
Meaning
Two romantic partners
Collocations
married couple
|young couple
|happy couple
|celebrity couple
Synonyms
pair (General term for two of something; not limited to romance.)
Antonyms
single (Refers to a person not in a romantic relationship.)
Themes
relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Two people who love each other or are dating.
Two people who are in a romantic or sexual relationship together.
NOUN
A2
2
pár
A2
Usage pattern:
a couple of [things]
I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.
Pár perc múlva ott leszek.
She bought a couple of books at the store.
Vett pár könyvet a boltban.
We met a couple of times last year.
Learner examples
I need a couple of eggs.
Szükségem van pár tojásra.
We saw a couple of birds in the tree.
Láttunk pár madarat a fán.
He called me a couple of times.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'a couple of' always means exactly two; in informal English it can mean two or three.
Meaning
Two or a few items
Collocations
a couple of days
|a couple of friends
|a couple of times
Synonyms
few (Indefinite small number, not necessarily two.)
Antonyms
many (Refers to a large number instead of a small one.)
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Two or a few people or things.
A small number of people or things, usually two or three.
VERB
B2
FORMAL
3
összekapcsol
B1
összeköt
B1
Usage pattern:
to couple [something] with [something]
The train cars were coupled together before departure.
A vonatkocsikat indulás előtt összekapcsolták.
The new software couples efficiency with user-friendliness.
Az új szoftver a hatékonyságot felhasználóbarát kezelhetőséggel kapcsolja össze.
They coupled the trailer to the truck.
Learner examples
He coupled the two wires together.
Összekötötte a két vezetéket.
The train cars are coupled before the trip.
Az út előtt összekapcsolják a vonatkocsikat.
We coupled the machine to the power supply.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'couple' meaning 'two people'; as a verb, it means to join things, often in technical contexts.
Meaning
Join or link together
Collocations
couple together
|couple with
Synonyms
connect (General term for joining; not as formal-sounding.)
Antonyms
separate (To move things apart instead of joining them.)
Themes
technology
|mechanics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To join two things together.
To join or connect two people or things together physically or functionally.
VERB
B2
FORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
to couple [something] with [something]
High demand coupled with low supply has driven prices up.
A nagy kereslet az alacsony kínálattal párosulva felhajtotta az árakat.
Coupled with his experience, her skills made the project a success.
Az egyikük tapasztalata a másikuk képességeivel párosulva sikerre vitte a projektet.
The policy is coupled with strict enforcement measures.
Learner examples
High prices coupled with low wages cause problems.
A magas árak az alacsony bérekkel párosulva problémákat okoznak.
Her talent coupled with his hard work made them win.
Az egyikük tehetsége a másikuk kemény munkájával párosulva győzelemhez segítette őket.
Bad weather coupled with traffic made me late.
Meaning
Combine or link concepts or effects
Collocations
couple with success
|couple with effort
Synonyms
combine (More general; 'couple' can sound more formal or deliberate.)
Antonyms
isolate (Keep something separate rather than combining it.)
Themes
ideas
|planning
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To put two things together so they work together or have an effect.
To combine something with another thing, often to produce a particular effect or result.
Grammar
Dictionary form
couple
IPA
GB/kˈʌpəl/
US/kˈʌpəl/
Syllables & stress
couple (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (couple)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: couple
- Plural: couples
Verb
- Base: couple
- 3rd Person Singular: couples
- Present Participle: coupling
- Past: coupled
Word family
Forms
couples
noun
coupling
verb
coupled
verb
Negative and opposite forms
decouple
verb
uncouple
verb
Advanced or less common
couplet
noun
Expressions
couple up
1/kˈʌpəl ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
Form romantic pairs
To start being in a romantic relationship, often at an event where many people find partners.
Examples
- Many guests coupled up during the wedding weekend.
- They coupled up soon after meeting.
coupled with
1/kˈʌpəld wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
formal
Combined with something else
Together with something else, making an effect.
Examples
- Her determination, coupled with her skill, led to success.
- Low supply, coupled with high demand, caused prices to rise.
quite a couple
1/kwˈaɪt ə kˈʌpəl/
fixed phrase
informal
An impressive pair of people
Two people who are impressive or interesting together.
Examples
- They make quite a couple on stage.
- Everyone agreed they were quite a couple at the party.
a couple of
1/ə kˈʌpəl əv/
fixed phrase
Two or small number of things
Two or a small number of things.
Examples
- We stayed there for a couple of days.
- We stayed there for a couple of nights.
- I have a couple of questions for you.
- Can you give me a couple of minutes?