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Meaning & use

couple of weeks

phrase·Everyday

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UK/ˌkʌpəl əv ˈwiːks/
US/ˌkʌpəl əv ˈwiːks/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    A period of about two weeks, or roughly fourteen days.

    Grammar: Used as a time expression, often after 'a' and before 'ago', 'in', or 'for': a couple of weeks ago.

    Patterns

    • a couple of weeks
    • a couple of weeks ago
    • in a couple of weeks
    • for a couple of weeks

    The repairs should take a couple of weeks.

    We're going to Italy in a couple of weeks.

    She started the new job a couple of weeks ago.

  2. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    A fairly short but unspecified length of time, suggesting more than a few days.

    Grammar: Often used when the speaker does not want to give an exact date or length.

    Patterns

    • give someone a couple of weeks
    • take a couple of weeks
    • need a couple of weeks

    Give me a couple of weeks and I'll send you the report.

    It took a couple of weeks for the package to arrive.

Common combinations

a couple of weeks ago
He moved to Chicago a couple of weeks ago.
in a couple of weeks
The exam is in a couple of weeks, so start reviewing.
take a couple of weeks
Recovery usually takes a couple of weeks.
for a couple of weeks
We stayed with my parents for a couple of weeks.
spend a couple of weeks
I'd like to spend a couple of weeks by the sea.

Synonyms and how they differ

fortnight
Used mainly in British English for exactly fourteen days; 'a couple of weeks' is vaguer and more common in speech.
two weeks
States the exact number, so use it in formal or precise writing where 'a couple of' would sound too loose.
a few weeks
Suggests a slightly longer or vaguer time, often three or more, while 'a couple of weeks' points to about two.

Word family

couple noun
Two things or people of the same kind, or two people in a romantic relationship.
weekly adjective
Happening once every week.

Commonly confused: couple of weeks or couple weeks? couple of weeks or a pair of weeks?

couple of weeks vs couple weeks

In informal American speech people drop 'of', but in writing and exams keep 'of': a couple of weeks.

couple of weeks vs a pair of weeks

'Pair' is only for things that come in twos, like shoes; it is not used for periods of time.

Practice

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