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no podíamos

we couldn't

→ no
phrase Uncommon #14,554
we couldn't Imperfect past of poder. Used for inability or lack of possibility in the past.
SP: No podíamos entrar porque la puerta estaba cerrada.
EN: We couldn't get in because the door was closed.

No podíamos ir allí porque no teníamos coche.

We couldn't go there because we didn't have a car.

No podíamos simplemente dejarte escapar.

We couldn't just let you go.

— El hombre de la Tierra (2007)

Había sido un accidente y a ese chico ya no podíamos ayudarle.

It had been an accident and we couldn't help that boy anymore.

— Contratiempo (2017)

No podíamos dejar escapar un pez así.

We couldn't let a fish like that get away.

— El regreso (2003)

No podíamos hacer nada para detenerla.

We couldn't do anything to stop her.

— TÁR (2022)

Hacía tanto calor que no podíamos caminar durante mucho rato.

It was so hot that we couldn’t walk for very long.

No podíamos parar de reír.

We couldn't stop laughing.

Sabía que no podíamos confiar en él.

I knew we couldn't trust him.

No importaba lo que hiciéramos, no podíamos hacerlo bien.

No matter what we did, we couldn't do it right.

— The Internship (2026)

Es que no podíamos venir.

We just couldn't come.

— Roma (2018)

No podíamos entender lo que ellos estaban tratando de decir.

We couldn't understand what they were trying to say.

No podíamos imaginar qué cosa quería hacer Paul.

We couldn't imagine what Paul wanted to do.

No podíamos separarnos de esto.

We couldn't separate ourselves from this.

— Sacrificio (1986)

Pero no podíamos pasarnos la vida viajando.

But we couldn't spend our lives traveling.

— Dolor y gloria (2019)

No podíamos creer lo que estaba pasando.

We couldn't believe what was happening.

— La ciudad de las estrellas (La La Land) (2016)

No podíamos hacer nada al respecto.

There was nothing we could do about it.

— Uno de los nuestros (1990)

No podíamos nadar más rápido.

We couldn't swim any faster.

Pero nosotros no podíamos ser de la familia, con sangre irlandesa.

But we couldn't be part of the family, with Irish blood.

— Uno de los nuestros (1990)

No podíamos encontrar la llave en ninguna parte.

We couldn't find the key anywhere.

No podíamos hacer nada.

We couldn't do anything.

— Cadena perpetua (1994)

No podíamos pelear con cuchillos y palos.

We couldn't fight with knives and sticks.

— Carandiru (2003)

Te dije que no podíamos confiar en él.

I told you we couldn't trust him.

Decidimos que no podíamos seguir tolerando a la oposición.

We decided that we could no longer tolerate the opposition.

— Núremberg (2025)

No podíamos acercarnos a las montañas.

We couldn't get near the mountains.

— La princesa Mononoke (1997)