podría haber

I could have

podría haber(poh-dree-ah ah-behr)

phrase

1. (first person singular; auxiliary)

a. I could have

Podría haber sido un gran cantante de ópera si no me hubiese casado contigo.

I could have been a great opera singer if I hadn't married you.

b. I might have

Podría haber ayudado más a mi vecina si hubiera sabido que necesitaba ayuda.

I might have helped my neighbor more if I had known she needed assistance.

2. (third person singular; impersonal)

a. there might be

Podría haber otra solución, pero tendríamos que ver si están dispuestos a correr el riesgo que implica.

There might be another solution, but we'd have to see if you're willing to run the risk involved.

b. there could be

Podría haber termitas en la cocina, señora.

There could be termites in the kitchen, ma'am.

3.

(formal)

(second person singular; auxiliary)

a. you might have

Podría haber obtenido mejores resultados si hubiera adoptado un enfoque diferente.

You might have obtained better results if you had used a different approach.

b. you could have

Usted podría haber sido una gran incorporación para nuestro equipo; es una pena que no aceptara nuestra oferta.

You could have been a great asset to our team; it's a shame you didn't accept our offer.

4. (third person singular; auxiliary)

a. he could have

(masculine)

Podría haber ganado la competencia si se hubiera entrenado como debía.

He could have won the competition if he had trained as he should.

b. he might have

(masculine)

Entonces, ¿por qué salió su marido en mitad de la noche? - No sé. Podría haber oído algo extraño que lo despertó.

So, why did your husband decide to go out in the middle of the night? - I don't know. He might have heard something odd that awoke him.

c. she could have

(feminine)

Marisa tomó unas copas y después condujo hasta su casa. - ¡Vaya, qué locura! Podría haber tenido un accidente.

Marisa had a few drinks and then she drove home. - Wow, that's insane! She could have had an accident.

d. she might have

(feminine)

¿Ya está Susi en casa? - No, no llegó. Podría haber perdido el tren.

Is Susi home yet? - No, she hasn't arrived. She might have missed her train.

e. it could have

Podría haber sido un desastre, pero por fortuna todo resultó bien.

It could have been a disaster, but luckily everything turned out well.

f. it might have

¿Cómo entraron los ladrones? ¿Estaba trabada la puerta? - No estoy segura; podría haber estado sin llave.

How did the burglars get in? Was the door locked? - I'm not sure; it might have been unlocked.

g. could have

Felipe podría haber salido con sus amigos, pero se quedó en casa para estudiar.

Felipe could have gone out with his friends, but he stayed home to study.

h. might have

Esta tarea podría haber sido más sencilla si me hubieras ayudado.

This task might have been easier if you had helped me.