nadie podía

nobody could

→ nadie
phrase Rare #28,785
nobody could Used to say that no person was able to do something. Usually followed by an infinitive or understood from context; podía is the imperfect tense of poder.
SP: Nadie podía abrir la puerta.
EN: Nobody could open the door.

Nadie podía pensar en nada más.

Nobody could think about anything else.

Nadie podía comprar nada.

Nobody could buy anything.

Papá, ¿no me dijiste que nadie podía ver a mamá?

Dad, didn’t you tell me that no one could see Mom?

— Por un puñado de dólares (1964)

Estaban a punto de descubrir algo que nadie podía imaginar.

They were about to discover something no one could have imagined.

Y nadie podía negarle favores a la Bruja.

And no one could deny the Witch favors.

— Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)

Nadie podía reproducir los resultados de ese estudio.

Nobody could reproduce the results of that study.

El bastardo me dijo que nadie podía morir sin su permiso.

The bastard told me that no one could die without his permission.

— La diva (1981)

Tom dijo que nadie podía ayudarlo.

Tom said that nobody could help him.

El mundo estaba encendido y nadie podía salvarme salvo tú.

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.

Nadie podía contestar a mis preguntas.

Nobody could answer my questions.