Would you say that phrase "a couple of years ago" refers to exactly 2 years?

Native english speaker here. When I use a “couple of X”, I usually equate it to being a few or a handful so roughly around “3 to 6”, give or take. A “couple” on its own does indeed mean 2. But, I disagree that “a couple of years” means 2 years. That’s stupid. They’d just say “2 years” to mean that.

I would use "a couple of X" to mean more than 1 but probably less than 5.

Australian native speaker here. Getting “a couple of things” on a shopping trip covers at least 2 things, but above about 12 things it probably becomes “a bunch of things”. “A couple of days” is at least 2 but probably not more than 5. “A couple of beers” is 6 to 30 beers.

Anyone who insists that 'a couple' always means exactly two is just wrong, full stop. It is consistently used to mean 'approximately two' or a small, unspecified quantity of something. This just happens, and it doesn't matter what people think in terms of whether it's a 'valid' or 'correct' usage of the word.

Lmao me and my boyfriend got into an argument about this. He says yes, it means two. I say no, it means the same as a few

From a literal standpoint "couple" means two, however it can also be used in a non-literal way to just mean "more than one, but not many". Similar to how an English speaker might use "A Second" or "A Minute" to mean a vague but short period of time.

I would interpret "a couple of years" as being anywhere from around 1.5 to 3.5 years. If someone meant exactly two years, they would say "two years." "A couple" isn't that specific when referring to things like time.

In my corner of the world, it's quite common to hear couple referring to a small number, usually less than a few. It's not always more than two, but it's also not always just two. The majority of people I talk to online (and even some from this area as well) assuming couple means exactly two. Some get quite frustrated with people having different assumptions.

Couple pretty much always means two when talking about countable physical objects or people or something like that. For things that are more abstract like units of time, while obviously countable, couple isn't necessarily going to mean exactly two. Especially time. A lot of times when you're talking about something that happened in the past, you might not even remember exactly when it happened. The person with the pink avatar was correct in general, but they were wrong to double down about it's use when coupled with years.

Personally I use it to mean a small, undefined number greater than one in many cases, especially in casual conversation discussing count of things where an exact count is unnecessary. If I say "hey, give me a couple of your fries" when we are eating fast food, I would not be surprised if I got 2, 3, or 4 fries. My husband often asks me to "grab a couple cookies" from the cookie jar for him. He doesn't think it's weird that I usually give him three. In situations like dating, yeah, a couple is two people, and coupling indeed refers to two pieces of pipe in plumbing, sure... but those are specific examples that are more defined, and are not the same as referring to a couple of small objects. If I said, "I checked out a couple books from the library," and later revealed I had checked out 3 books, I don't think a single person would bat an eye or go "um actually you defined two books earlier!" I'm sure it differs from person to person, but in situations like this, I've never encountered someone who interpreted and enforced it as exactly two in all circumstances. In fact, I feel like anyone who enforces that you must refer to only two in these situations is the strange one lol. (I'm from midwestern USA.)

Context matters. "I've invited a couple to the party." = "I've invited two people who are linked to one another to the party." "I've invited a couple of people to the party" = "I've invited two or more people, but not so many people." Basically, using "couple" generally means at least 2, but could be more, or "2-ish."

In American English, “a couple of” something can sometimes mean three or even four. (But “they’re a couple” always means two romantic partners.) I’d say “a couple of years ago” means more than 18 months, but less than four years.

You can ask a couple of native English speakers whether it always literally means two if something and you’ll get a couple of different answers.

Couple means “two” technically, but I (and the people around me) have often used “couple” to mean something more like “roughly two,” or “a small amount.” Although, I got in an argument about this in real life once, back in high school. Some native speakers definitely think couple ONLY means two, but I couldn’t tell you what the prevailing understanding is.

in german we have "ein paar" "a couple/a few" (meaning a low number) and "ein Paar" "a couple/a pair" (meaning two). i think its the same here, just that english doesn't have the capitalisation of nouns.

Couple specifically means 2, but as others have said it will likely be used to cover a vague amount usually less than 5. Unless you're ordering something, if you tell a server worker couple we will grab 2 unless you specifically say a different number.

It depends. A happy couple in a wedding is 2. To couple together is two. In street English a.couple of years is less than .few but not strictly 2. It's not many years though. One a couple a few some several many lots

While "couple" does technically mean two (just like a couple is two people dating each other), it's used very informally for the most part just to mean any small amount more than one. Personally, when speaking for me, "a couple of years ago" could even mean five years ago, just because my memory isn't great with specific moments in time.

A couple usually means two. A few is an unspecified small number. A couple of years means about two years, not like exact "two years to the day", but not more than two years by any great length. A few years could mean anywhere from 3-5. This is generally speaking. There is not an exact, hard and fast rule to these words, which is kind of the point. Now, if I'm going to the store and I say, "I just need to get a couple of things", the undefined noun "things" means that a "couple" could be more than two. But if I says, "I need to get a couple of hams to bake", I mean two hams. I hope that makes sense.

Technically it does mean two, but in practice it usually means "two-ish".

If I really think about it, I’d think it meant 2. But many people just mean a year to 4 years ago. Ive caught myself saying a couple years ago when I meant a few. But in writing I mean 2 or around 2 years ago. It’s different when you speak and just say things. “Do you have any pens?” “Yea I have a couple on my desk, go ahead and grab one.” But there might be 4.

While “a couple” does not always mean two, I do think that for “a couple” vs. “a few”, “a couple” is less than “a few”, generally speaking. To me, “a couple of years ago” is definitely less time than “a few years ago”, but you could use either for the same amount of time.

Buh, humbug. Of course couple can mean a pair, i.e. exactly two, but it's usually understood to refer to some undefined small amount. Who would think that, say, *a couple of lightyears* away meant exactly two? Ridiculous.

a couple is 2, but you could stretch it to 3, same with a few (3 but could be stretched to 4)

A couple absolutely means 2. Some English speakers don't know this and use the word wrong, and then because of how English works it stops being explicitly wrong because enough people use it that way. But seriously it means 2. A great deal of English speakers are going to be confused or annoyed if you use it to mean anything other than 2.

I pretty much agree with mostly everyone commenting. If I mean 2, I'll specifically say 2. For example, if someone asked me when the last time I was in the hospital, I can say specifically "in October" or a couple of months back or ago.

Generally? Yeah. "Couple" means 2 and "few" means a small undefined number. Its not uncommon for native speakers to mean what you meant but generally I confirm (in real life) and then point out that "couple" is literally two. Clarity is important.. its not that serious though. I wouldn't go to the trouble online though, cause its not that serious 

If I and a friend pop out for a couple of beers the stated intent maybe 2 but the implied outcome is usually more. A couple is a small quantity that may or may not be 2 A few is a small amount that is definitely more than 2 but is ambiguous about how much more.

I tend to think of "a couple" and "a few" as synonymous, I guess because that's how they've always been used. Nowadays I am aware of the way others use "a couple", so I just use "a few" more.

yes, a couple is 2 & only 2

I think those are actually just two different words. In German it is very similar, wie have "ein Paar" (they are a couple) and "ein paar" (a couple of things).

if someone said a couple of years I would assume 1.5-2.5 years if someone said a few years i'd assume 3 or more few definitely means 3 or more

No, it doesn’t mean exactly two. It means *probably* two. “A couple of x” means more than one, most likely around 2, but could be 3 or 4.

Yes, a couple means exactly two. However, with years it's a little fuzzy, but not very fuzzy. I'd expect it to be +/- 4-6 months.

A "couple" means two. We allow for inaccuracy though, like if I say "I'll be 2 minutes" or a "I'll be a couple of minutes" they both mean two minutes, but we allow for the fact that I could be 3 minutes or 5 minutes. So while "a couple of years" means two years, we allow for inaccuracy in everyday speech. It's not that "couple" doesn't mean two, it does, but we allow for people to not be 100% accurate.

Technically, a couple of x means two x. People use it all the time to mean "a few", though.

Yes

"Couple" and "pair" are basically the same wors

If you say, "I'll be on my way in a couple of minutes" nobody will be expecting exactly 120 seconds. If you say "Only a couple of people attended the meeting" most people will not think you mean exactly two people. However, if you say, "look at the happy couple" nobody will think you mean three people.

From the UK A couple is 2, unless when someone wants you to do something and you say "Give me a couple of minutes". That also is intended to be 2, but it is infact a fictional measurement derived from one's anus.

A couple is *roughly* two. Could be two, two and a half, three or four. It doesn't matter for the purposes of the story. (c.f. 'the other day') Maybe it was six years ago, but feels more recent to the teller.

No, the value of "a couple" is really context dependent. A couple could be 2-4 but a couple of scoops of ice cream is definitely 2. Like "a few" it scales a bit relative to the max amount that would be reasonable, but is probably never greater than 5.

a couple means two, yes

In some contexts a couple means specifically a pair. But used casually it often means “about two”.

I would say that it's context dependent. In the context of "a couple years ago", I would say it's more relaxed. For ill-defined amounts where it is likely to have fractional amounts, like years, I'd use it as a smaller version of "a few", with an upper bound between 3 and 4. If I was talking about something that happened in 2021 now in 2025, I might say "it was a couple... wait no it's been a few years now", but moreso because memory recall is inexact. For more discrete amounts, I'd take it to mean "2 or 3". Otherwise, I'd consider it weird without some sort of minimization, e.g. "Oh I only had a couple beers" (actually had 4)

It's 'about two', like 'a few' is 'about three'. Both of them aren't exact.

Maybe American English is different, but in England a couple is two. If I asked for a couple of apples, I’d expect two.

People are insane. A couple means two. It only means two. People who think it means anything other than two are talking nonsense. If you caught your partner cheating on you, and you said "I thought we were a couple!", they could not just gesture to the three of you and say "We are! A couple can mean three!". People talking about things like "a couple of years" or "a couple of beers" are missing the point. Those things are used to say "an estimate or average closer to two than any other number" because "couple" *means* two, but people don't want to specify "two" because using numbers feels exact and concrete. That's just a product of vague or lazy language use. It's not an implication that three, four or more of something can be "a couple".

A couple does mean two, like the person said in their comment, but it’s also used for approximations when approximations can or should be applied to the quantity. So for years, I would interpret it as an approximation: certainly more than a year, could be more than two years, small possibility of more than three years, but not much more. For other things, finite objects in a set for example, it probably will mean exactly two.

With the way the word is used in modern time, id say a couple also in a way means a few

Definitions from Oxford Languages noun: couple; plural noun: couples 1. **two people or things** of the same sort considered together. "a couple of girls were playing marbles" 3. **informal** – an indefinite small number. "he hoped she'd be better in a couple of days"

"couple" is also a verb that means "to join/combine/link things together". I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that in the plumbing example it's called a "coupling" because of the "joining" aspect, and not because there are two pipes.

The use of "a couple" to mean more than two is widely criticized but also widely done, so you can't assume that.

Why are people so uncomfortable with linguistic ambiguity? It's both, and that's okay.

I'm from England and I'd typically use couple if I meant either exactly 2 or roughly 2. If it's an actual object I'm referring to, like books or something, it'd be exactly 2. If it's something measurable, like years, it'd be roughly 2

Contextual for me "Pass me a couple of eggs" means I expect you'll hand me two "Pass me a few eggs" means three "I invited a couple of extra people" or "I invited a few extra people" mean the same thing.

In British English, a "couple" is 2, exactly. In English everywhere else a "couple" is 2 or more.

If I meant 2 years, I'd say 2 years.

In Australia, I’ve never heard it used for anything other than “two”. Except by German speakers who thought it maps to “ein paar”, but they’d be wrong and usually get corrected quite swiftly. It translates to “ein Paar”. If you want to be understood as saying “small quantity” around here, you’d say “a few”.

It varies with region. Some people regard "couple" as specifically and only 2, while other people use it for an undefined small number. In the specific case of people in a romantic relationship, though, it is only 2.

yeah it means 2 and some people are pretty strict about it. you can go around using it to mean “small amount” but if a native speaker catches you using it and meaning something more than 2, they may call you out on it. probably not though. just don’t argue with native speakers about rules if you are going to ask other native speakers about that rule later 😂😂

I am not a native English speaker, but I can understand most conversations I hear on the radio or TV. How can I improve my accent to sound more like a native speaker? I am from Australia.

Yes, it means two years ago. The same way a "handful" means five.

No it just means "a small amount of years".

A couple means exactly two in Australia. A few means three.

Depends on the context. I couple of years ago would be, imo, 2 or so, as in you aren't sure exactly, but assume 2 is accurate. But if you asked for a couple of my skittles, I'm not going to give you just 2, and the couple times someone did, I laughed at the thought of someone actually wanting a couple 😂 (see what I did, I recall 2 times but it could have been a few more that I'm not remembering)

If people want to mean EXACTLY two, they should say two. “A couple” is often used by Americans to mean “some small amount” as in, he left here a couple of minutes ago, all I had for lunch was a couple of crackers, I was just at that restaurant a couple of days ago. It DOES mean two, as in those two are now a couple, but the way it’s used in the US doesn’t always mean just two specifically.

Usually means two. If I'm asking somebody how many pizzas they ordered, and they said a couple, that means two for sure.

It's two, give or take a couple halves.

a couple means two (when people are in a relationship, you call those people "a couple" bc it's two people.) "a couple of [whatever]" is a little more nuanced. some people will firmly tell you that it ALWAYS means EXACTLY two, but that isn't always the case. sometimes it means "roughly two." ("we just had a couple beers" - you might have had 3 beers. who's counting? "could we get a couple napkins, please?" - the waitress brings you 4.) so, it does mean two, but the meaning is sometimes relaxed depending on the context.

It SHOULD mean exactly 2, but I’ve seen too many instances where someone says a couple, I assume two, and then way later down the line there’s a miscommunication, and I’m like, “But you said 2!” And they’re like, “No, I didn’t!” It makes absolutely no sense to me how a couple could refer to more or less than 2. If it’s more, it’s not a couple. If it’s less, it’s literally just one.

I always think of a couple as two, definitely.

Generally couple is 2 yes but that's primarily for things which ordinarily come in pairs. Shoes, people, etc. Other times it is a more vague but lesser version of few. Assume 2 is the safest course. Ask for clarification if needed.

Tbh it's heavily context dependent to me (an Aussie). I feel like when it's referring to a physical real world thing (objects etc) I tend to view it in the more strict definition, but with the understanding that it CAN be used more broadly and generally I can intuit when people are doing so. In contrast, when used for more intangible things (eg units of time), I view it as more broad from the get go

I feel like a couple used to mean exactly two, but over the last few decades it has relaxed in many contexts to mean a small number.

No. For me then I use it to refer to more than 3 years

A couple is two. A few is 3 or more, but not more than about 5.

Im a native speaker and I would NEVER assume ”a couple” to be only 2… in that case I’d expect one to say ”two” or ”a few small amount”. I treat ”a couple” as 3–5

It can mean exactly two, but also "around 2" and in some cases a small and undefined number.

A couple of something is weird in English... Yes, I technically should only mean two of something. People do use it like that, However.. it is also used to mean a random undefined number larger than one and ... (this is where it depends on the person) smaller than say 10. Think of it as another form of "a few". The problem is, you need to figure our from the context of the conversation what the person means. And sometimes, there's no way of knowing unless you ask e.g. "I'm having a couple of friends over, I hope you don't mind"... unless I ask, I dunno whether to expect two or a houseparty

Native speaker from Scotland. I get that a couple isn't an exact amount and there are plenty of situations where we use it to mean "roughly 2". I feel like using "a couple" for anything more than 3 feels wrong, because we have a word for that: "a few". I'd say: A couple of years ago = 1.5-3 years ago A few years ago = 2.5-5 years ago People who are arguing that "a couple of years ago" could be used to mean 5 years ago, or that "a couple of Skittles" could mean a handful are mad.

I’ve always taken “a couple” to mean exactly two in any instance, and will annoyingly ask “do you mean two or not” if someone says “a couple” and means something else. This is, however, due to the fact I am autistic 😅

I'm definitely in the "couple = two" camp on this. If I wanted to refer to a small quantity of anything more than two, then I would say "a few". The dictionary definitions support this, so to use your own personal definitions would cause confusion.

Couple and Pair are synonyms. Yes, a couple of anything is two. If someone says they want a couple of something, they better be expecting two, because that's what they asked for. If you want more than two, ask for a few. A few is a bit looser, but has always been more than two things, so 3 or more. Until you simply hit "A lot" of something. It feels like the cut off point changes per item/thing depending on what would be considered A lot of that thing.

u/SurfaceThought / has an example that captures the difference between a couple and a couple of

I’m not a native speaker but spoken it for decades. I use “couple years” for a few years where I don’t know exactly how long it’s been. Could be a year, could be four. Who the heck knows.

Yes, couple refers to two, few refers to three, those are the only two generalish words that refer to specific amounts of time, of course you can use them semi generally. For instance anything numerical you use them more strictly, if you were to say “a couple of hours” I would expect two if you said you were “a few minutes away” I would expect three or 4. Then then of course there’s general use like “there’s a few dishes in the sink” could refer to a more general amount but that can be a very tonal thing so idk. Sorry for the rant but yes, a couple, and a few, refer to 2 and 3 respectively

I was definitely taught as a kid to use “a couple” when I meant 2 versus “a few” when I meant 3 or more. But I’d never assume anyone else is using it that way.

Their claim is literally just "2 is smaller than 5" "4 is smaller than 5" "Therefore most if not all numbers are smaller than 5" Like these are probably the only examples that can be applied

People on this site line up to police each-other. We can't all be unpaid moderators.

It’s context dependent. A couple is literally two, but people sometimes loosely use it to mean a few. “Give me a couple minutes” or “let’s grab a couple beers” aren’t always meant to literally mean two.

When you talk about “a couple” by itself it definitely means exactly 2. But a lot of people use “a couple of something” to mean a small number of something not exactly 2. And as you’ve probably seen already theres also people who consider the only acceptable use of “couple” to be mean exactly 2 I won’t comment on what is or isn’t “correct” but people are wrong if they say it goes against dictionary usage or that it’s a new change in the language from the uneducated youth. Couple meaning a small indefinite number (same as few) is in fact one of the accepted dictionary definitions. People often use it this way Merriam Webster says it’s ok and that it’s been used this ways since as far back as the 1500s https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/couple-few-several-use Collin’s dictionary goes as far as saying in American English “a couple of” means more than two and that in British English informally it can take on the meaning of “a small number of; a few” https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/a-couple-of

When I say “a couple of xxx,” I usually intend for there to be two. If I was certain, I’d just say two. A couple gives a bit of leeway in case I’m a bit off. Still, if I thought something was approximately three, I’d use “a few.”

A couple technically means exactly two. If it is used to refer to two or three, that's acceptable in most cases.

It makes sense to mean exactly 2, and I strive to only use it when I mean exactly 2… but in reality semantic drift has occurred and you’ll see it used to mean a small number.

Would *I* say a couple refers to exactly 2? Yes, if only discrete whole numbers are counted. Would other anglophones? Not necessarily. I would never use “couple” when I mean “3 or more” or “1 or less.” But there are still many numbers between 1 and 3 that are not *exactly* 2. So “couple” to me should be better defined as “approximately 2.” Make sense?

Yes

A couple to me means two or three - it’s why I don’t like the word. If I mean 2 I will say 2 A few is 3 or 4.

In the literal sense, “a couple” means exactly 2. But… ….people often use “a couple” non-literally (in which it functions the same as “a few”).

I asked a native American: "If I were to say "I met him a couple years ago", how long ago would that be?" And the answer I got was: "Id say 2-3"

It's mainly used for estimates

No.

If I say the last couple of years, I probably mean "about two" rather than "exactly two". As others have said, three or more would be a few.

A couple is intended to be 2, and a few is intended to be roughly 3-5, but in situations where an exact number is not known, they can be used almost interchangeably to refer to a small amount. I think it’s pretty universal that “a couple” is always smaller than “a few”

A couple is a vague amount that can be counted on one hand. If you want to mean specifically two you would use two or pair. A few is typically something you can count on two hands.

My brain wouldn't think "2" unless asked to assign a number value, but yeah couple means 2.

No, “a couple of years” means nothing more than “I’m sure it was over a year but it doesn’t feel very long to me”, and people’s perception of time is really funky and irregular.

A couple is 2, a few is 3, a handful is up to 5, several is about 7-10.

I'd say it's an amount of time that as far as I can recall is nearer to 2 years than one year or three. A lot of people do use a couple more casually to mean maybe 2-4 of something, a lot of other people complain that this is incorrect and couple really does mean two. So sufficiently common mistake among native speakers that if it's important you might check 'do you mean two, or could it be longer?'

That first person is incorrect, when "couple" is used to estimate an amount, it does not mean exactly two. "Couple" *can* mean two, in that two things joined together are "coupled" and two people dating are a "couple." But that's not true for counts. A "couple" means an indefinite small number, same as "few," and it is commonly used this way. "A couple of years" can mean 3, 4, etc.

Growing up I was taught that a couple = 2ish, a few = 3-5ish, and several = 7ish. But they exist to be non-specific approximations, so it'd be wrong to equate them to exact numbers.

Wait until someone tells you “a couple of three” things

I've heard "couple of years" used to mean more than 2 BUT **I** would never use it to mean more than 2. A couple is 2, always, to me.

Denotation and conotation. A couple literally means 2, but it can figuratively mean a few. [https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/couple](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/couple)

I use it as 2. I say “few” if it’s 3 or more

Worth noting as well that in British English we always say “a couple of things”, whereas in US English, it’s more common to say “a couple things.”

Couple=2

It’s technically and literally two, but it can be interchangeable with *few* for some people, especially regarding things that can be counted but are abstract. I don’t know if that’s a regional thing or not. It’s really not that critical. I don’t know a life or death situation that’d come down to this wording. Most people would just be specific in that case. Anywhere, or with anyone, it’s not interchangeable with few, I’m sure they’ll just say, “a couple is two.”

Yes a couple is usually understood as 2. If it's between 2 and 3 tentatively, it's "2 or 3". If it's over 3, it's "a few"

If we were talking something physical, like candies, "a couple" would mean 2 or 3, and a few would be more like 4 to 6, and a handful would mean more, depending on size. With years, we get into questions of how we perceive it, which changes over time. I could say "a couple of years ago" and mean a decade or more because of forgotten details. If someone is specifying two years, they would say "two years". "A couple" and "a few" have intentionally fuzzy definitions.

No. A couple is understood to be at least two, but there's generally an understanding that it could be slightly more. If someone wanted to say that something happened in 2023 and knew it happened in 2023, they would say "x happened two years ago". If they couldn't remember if it happened at the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023, but knew it has been more than two years, they'd say "x happened two or three years ago" or "x happened **a couple** of years ago" or. If I told someone to pick up a couple of pizzas, they would understand that I am asking them to pick up at least two pizzas, but that there is wiggle room in my request to pick up more. If I wanted exactly two pizzas, I'd tell them to pick up two pizzas.

2-4 years ago imo

There is a couple ways to define that 

People who insist it means EXACTLY two are ridiculous and it's a pet peeve of mine. Logically yeah they are correct, but it is not used like that in real conversation. If there is an exact number, it would be said. A couple, or a few, will almost always mean a smaller unaccountable number. A couple of drinks, a couple of days, a couple of years, etc. If there was an exact number, it would be mentioned

I think this may vary by person or region? Where I live a couple is almost always 2, and a few is 3 or more. But it’s also not as certain as just saying 2. It’s more of an estimated 2. For example, if I were at work and said I had a couple of reports to do, I’d likely mean 2 reports. If I said something happened a couple years ago, I’d mean it was roughly 2 years ago. Give or take.

Like they said: 1) A couple = 2. So a couple of years means 2 years. 2) A few = 3. So a few years equals 3 years. 3) With all that said, if some were to say a few years back, it would not mean 3, but an unspecified amount of time that they are not sure of.

i’d say “a couple years” to refer to any amount between 1 years 6 months - 3 years

I'm shocked that others don't think "a couple" means exactly two. I mean, it's literally the meaning of the word.

I'm not a native speaker but, the way I understand it (and the way I use the expression in my own language), it means "like two." As in "it will take a couple of minutes" means "approximately two minutes." Might be a little less, might be a little more.

It would mean "roughly two". If the measurement is exact, you'd just say two. If it's something like years, it could mean two years, give or take some months. If it's something like "bring a couple bottles of wine" though, it's a litte more specifically two (but if you want to bring three, hey, even more fun!)

“A couple of” literally means two, but colloquially means “approximately two.” “A couple of” is less than “a few of.” A few solidly indicates 3 or more, but not many more, without a well-defined end point. I personally wouldn’t use “a couple of” to mean anything more than 2-3. [Native English speaker, Eastern USA]

To be fair, time has been flowing weirdly lately, so if I said something happened 'a couple of years ago', that might mean it happened last year or up to five years ago, and I'm just not sure when exactly it was but it feels too long ago to have been last year and not long ago enough to have been what I'd call 'a few years ago' (that would be 5 to 8). That's just me though

When I use the phrase “a couple of years ago” I mean 2003.

A couple of years would mean ‘approximately’ two years to most people. Nobody has claimed it means ‘exactly two years’, like you’ve suggested three times as a straw man.

As you've seen through an the discourse here OP, "couple" doesn't always mean *just* two. There are circumstances where "couple" can explicitly imply two ("They are a couple" for an intimate relationship between two people, for example) but in colloquial usage, "couple" is thrown around to mean "more than just one, but still an amount that can easily be considered a small multiple *near* one". As you allude, often 2 or 3, but you'll find a broad variance depending on the topic and person you speak to. Long story short, you should almost never use "couple" with the intention to denote a specific number. If you want to be exacting, you should use the actual number instead of "couple".

I almost exclusively use couple to mean two but I’m not 100% strict on the usage. If someone used couple to mean 3 or four I would wonder why they didn’t just say so.

A couple is two but if someone asks you for a couple m&m’s they might be asking for 2-4 maybe even five or six pieces of candy. If someone wanted to state exactly two years they should have said “two years” cuz a couple is not a number, just a general term.

When I say “a couple” I usually don’t mean two exactly - could be two, three, whatever. In its most literal sense yes, it would mean two, but idk if the vast majority treat it this way

In Ireland “a couple of years ago” can be anything > 18 months up to 7 years at the top end. “A couple of minutes” can be anything from 30 sec to several hours based on context”

For me, a couple used in that way is an unknown small number. More than one but less than five. “Couple”and “few” would be synonymous when used like that. I wouldn’t think anything odd about someone saying “I ate there a couple of years ago and it was good but it’s been a few years so I don’t know if it still is.”

In everyday speech "a couple" used with units of time is typically understood to mean "around two". It implies uncertainty and that it's an approximation. It can also be interpreted as "more than one, but not many".

Couple does mean two and it depends on the native on if they use it to mean “small amount” or to always mean “two.” I for the most part mean two, but even sometimes I will say couple when I don’t know the amount but know it’s small. Like, I might say I did something a couple of years ago if I’m not quite sure how long it’s been but close to 2 years ago. Other people will use it a lot more liberally.

I’m from the East Coast of the USA, and I’d say a couple as a synonym of a bunch, just undefined but a small amount

A couple of days means about two days. A couple of weeks means about two weeks. A couple of months means about two months. A couple of years means about to years. Units of time are different than other things, because very rarely does anyone count down to the exact minute and say “Now that it’s 9:01 a.m. on May 12th, 2025, it’s been a couple of years. In one minute it’ll be a couple of years and one minute. No. A couple of time units means about two time units. It’s less exact than saying two time units, which is why it’s used.

For a discrete category like cookies or quid then a couple means two. If a fiend asks for a couple of quid then give them 2 quid. For continuous things like time eg years then a couple is anything between >1 and <3 eg He is a couple of years older than me

I would say it means about two years ago, but the speaker isn't sure of the exact date.

To me a couple is 2 or 3 and a few is 4 to 7, depending on context.

According to oxford languages, under the third definition, a couple can mean "an indefinite small number". Synonyms listed for the definition include 'a few', 'a small number' and 'two or three'.

"A couple of" does NOT mean "exactly two, not 1.9 or 2.1." "A couple of" could be 1.4 to 3.4 (or so, roughly, about). It's a fairly nebulous small number, and pragmatically one has to account for how people remember time.

People who are hellbent that "a couple" can only ever refer to the number two are abrasive weirdos. Words can have more than one meaning. It's generally accepted in America that "a couple" can mean two, or a small number. If I said "drive down the road a couple minutes to get there" and then it took 4 minutes to get there, no one would find that to be incorrect. "I ate a couple cookies" wouldn't start a fight if I had 3.

For me, and other people from the UK I know, couple means 2 and a few will mean 3 or 4. However I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of those things that varies based on where you are. I think technically couple should always mean 2, but it's probably one of those rules that has relaxed over the years

I am not a native speaker and I have always used it to mean exactly 2 quantities, a couple years = 2 years, a couple electrons in an atom = 2 electrons, a couple keys on the keyboard = 2 keys. But it seems that native English speakers use it not strictly to mean exactly 2. I guess it's like one of those things people do where they say something like "This is the 50th time I am telling you this" but it is actually the 2nd or 3th time. Or when they have done an action 5-6 times in the past but say that they have done it like a million times. I will still continue to use it as exactly 2 as that' what I am used to and it isn't wrong.

No, a couple of years ago does not mean exactly 2 years. "Two years ago" doesn't even mean exactly 2 years. It means it rounds to 2 years. It could be 18 months, it could be 30. "Two years ago today" means exactly two years. Couple can occasionally mean precisely two, but most of the time it's an imprecise form of measurement, that is less than a few and more than one. Generally used when a precise amount doesn't matter or you don't know or care. And there's a lot of subjectivity to it. As a loose rule of thumb a couple is about 2, a few is 3-5, several would be 4-10, etc. But there's a lot of variables: * If you're getting M&Ms from a large bag and I ask for a couple and you hand me just 2, I'll probably be annoyed that you are being ridiculously pedantic. They probably want at least 5. * If you have a little "fun size" package of M&Ms and hand me 2 when I ask for a couple, that's fine or even generous, because you are sharing a large percent with me. * If you ask how many pancakes I want, and we're talking about large plate sized pancakes, a couple means 2 and a few means three maybe four. Five pancakes is a lot. * When we're talking time, especially "time ago," we approximate a lot, even with minutes. A couple minutes ago could be 10-15 depending how busy you are. Years are so broad we approximate them equally broadly.

I'm not a native speaker, just my opinion. I think you're inserting the word "exactly" into their explanation, causing doubt/confusion to yourself. If someone wants to say exactly 2 years, they will say 2 years, a couple of years refers to around 2 years, but it's said casually, not accurately. Also, I think that most non-native English speakers aren't pedantic enough about this to distinguish between "couple" and "few", especially in a casual conversation, so you're probably used to hearing them, but the other person isn't really wrong.

No, I would say that it means 2-4 years ago.

Some people are pedantic and do take it to mean a literal couple do two. However, I do know a lot of people who do not mean it in a literal sense of exactly two.

In the southern US "couple" means an undefined amount greater than 1. Usually its similar to a "handfull." It depends on context, but I'd say usually around 2-10. A "couple of days ago" may be 3-4 days ago.

Couple always means exactly two when counting discrete items. Couple of eggs, pencils, etc. always means two. Where it gets a bit more wishy washy is in non-discrete measurements. Couple years, couple miles, couple gallons will mean 2 plus or minus. Edit: ok "coupla beers" might mean more than 2, especially if your wife is asking how many you've had today

The initial sentence is correct, but in the context suggested, no, it doesn’t mean exactly two years. It means about 2 years.

Yes & no. It means “around 2”.

2-ish is usually a good translation

I'd say it's approximately two. Like a couple of years may mean a year and ten months or two years and two months, for example.

A "couple" definitely means around two years. Maybe not exactly, but less than 3 and more than 1. Couple means two.

The root of the word "couple" is "fastened together". It does not specify two. In common usage it typically refers to relationships, where traditionally two people are "fastened" together either through social commitment or legal commitment (marriage). This is where people get the association between the word couple and the word two. It is also common to couple two things together, but again the word has nothing to do with the number two. So yeah, couple doesn't mean literally 2, it doesn't mean precisely 2 and it doesn't mean approximately 2. It refers to a small group of people.

2- couple, 3- few, 4-7- some, 5-8-handful, 6-11-many, 12-dozen, 12-20ish a lot, dozens - 24+, hundreds, 100+

Whenever a Redditor says “vast majority” they mean them and their mates. I’d say “couple” refers to 2-4. I *personally* use couple to mean “2 and only 2” but that’s not how other people use it.

Entirely depends on context. It very often does not mean exactly two. In many contexts, I would even say it would be misleading to use the phrase to refer to precisely two of something.

Being from the Midwest, "a couple of years ago" tends to be used to refer to the not immediate, but recent feeling past

I mean when I say the word couple I mean two, otherwise I'd say the word few for 3+

Imo couple almost always refers to the numbers 2 or 3, if I heard a couple of years I would assume over 2 years but under 4. If I hear the word few, I am thinking the number is between 3 and like 9

This is a US English v non-US English distinction. A trick is to listen out for 'of'. 'a couple years' is likely US English, and non-specific. 'a couple *of* years' is likely non-US English, and refers specifically to two years.

Yes, a couple is *always* 2

I am from the US (Maryland, and specifically the Appalachian part) and I would say that I only ever hear older folks use "a couple" to mean exactly 2. It's become an idiomatic/casual kind of way of saying more than one but not very many of something. It's something you might hear older rural people say. The meaning is considered vague or a little old fashioned (even though literally it does mean 2 of something). Younger people do not usually say a couple and mean two. They would be more specific and ask for 2 of something. This is my experience and only reflects the patterns I have heard growing up. My parents are from California but their parents are from the Midwest.

Couple means 2. As a measure of time, it can be a little looser, like saying “about two years” rather than “exactly two years.” But it isn’t interchangeable with “few”.

A couple is at least 2, but not more than ~6. Where I'm from (Wisconsin), you'll hear people say "a couple 2,3" which is pronounced 'a couple two three.'

Yeah my mate prescribes a 'couple' as two, and he said "What is a couple?" "Two people?" "There you go." I still think he's wrong, i'ds say 2-3 then a few etc... use context clues where able. a five person picnic, minus one because they don't drink means a 'couple' of drinks = 3/4 if your drinking.

According to the dictionary, a couple can mean 2 or 3

A couple *sometimes* means two and 'a few' *sometimes* means three. Both actually mean some small number.

“Couple” for most things implies two but when you start talking about concepts such as money or time it becomes a bit more vague. So if you hear “a couple of years ago,” it could be as much as three but most likely it’s two years +/- a few months.

I would use couple to mean 2-4 and few to mean 3-8 (maybe only 3-6 depending on how easily countable the thing is).

Yes, I would use a couple to mean two, but I would also say "a couple few" to mean more than two. So "oh I saw him a couple few years ago!" That just means 2+

i believe the technical definition of a couple is 2, at least that's what I was taught but IRL its used much more broadly

This reminds me of a time in high school when our teacher asked our Teacher's Assistant (older student who helped in place of a Study Hall period) to print out a couple of copies of a text. The TA printed out 6 copies and the teacher jokingly mocked her. "I said a couple, how many people are in your definition of a couple..." While that was an example of the teacher wanting two copies, generally I've understood a couple to be "about two."

The way life has run away from me recently "a couple of years ago" could mean anything since about 2012

When I'm telling a story 'a couple of years ago' can mean anything from 6 months to a decade ago

So I've been using it correctly for years and told I was wrong. Then I started using it wrong? Guess I'm swapping back.

I use it to mean approximately or probably 2. If I thought it was maybe 3 but could have been more or less, I might use "couple" or I might use "few", depending on if I was trying to emphasize its shortness or length, respectively.

A couple is always two and it makes me cringe when someone uses it for more than two.

I say "a couple" when I mean "two" but also want to allow some wiggle room in case it's a little more or less for whatever reason. Or if I'm just being casual. Like if I say "Can I have a couple cookies?" I want at least two but I'll happily take more.

A couple means two, or approximately two. It doesn't need to be exactly 730 days, but between 18 and 30 months is about right

“A couple” in this context, to me, means two-ish.

Context plays a role, but "couple of years" is a pretty casual phrase to begin with. If someone means precisely 2 years, most people would just say "2 years." *Technically* it means 2 years, but in common/casual use it *can* mean "a small number of years ago that I haven't bothered to calculate or don't remember exactly." Used ironically, it can also mean "some large number of years." Heck, as a 40-something, I've even used "a couple of years" thinking that an event happened within the last 2-5 years and it turns out to have been a decade ago or some damn thing. If you hear a native speaker use it, and the distinction actually matters, it's best to ask for clarification. "I'm sorry, do you mean actually two years, or something more general?"

I always interpret a couple meaning 2 and a few as in maybe 3/4

Couple = 2 Few = 3 or more Half a dozen = 6 Dozen = 12 Bakers dozen = 13 I can't think of any more lol

I use couple when I think it’s probably two, but I could potentially be wrong and it could be one or three, sometimes even four.

no

when someone tells you they're going to grab a couple drinks, it means much more than two.

If "a couple of years ago" meant "2 years ago" then you'd just say "2 years ago". "A couple of years ago" means "around 2 years ago"

my grandpa got onto me for that once when i was little, so i always associated it with stuffy old people

No

Unfortunately, this is not consistent among English speakers. Here is a humorous comic about it. https://xkcd.com/1070/

I think that the English speaking world is too large to give a direct answer, especially viewing this comment section. The literal meaning of a couple is two. The way it’s used is not always precisely two. Few is less precise and means more than one, but not sure how many. As with other languages, the actual meaning of the words doesn’t always reflect the meaning of the sentence or the intent of the speaker.

As a native American English speaker, a couple and a few mean basically the same thing. Couple is rigidly 2, and cannot move past 2. Few is 2 or more of something, but I've commonly seen it used as just 2. "I'll take a few" is a common response to a question about the quantity of something we wish to acquire from someone.

I worked for several years doing phone survey for university research projects. Whenever someone answered with "a couple", we were required to ask for clarification to a specific number. I was always shocked by how often I got another answer than two... When I say a couple, I mean two or about two, depending on a couple of what. When most people say a couple, it can be anything from one to about five.

Yes, as everyone should, always. A couple is 2. A few is 3 or 4, and anything more is classified as “several”.

That depends. Some English-speakers I know say 'couple' when they mean exactly two. I and many of my family say 'couple' to mean between 2 to 4 ish. I have no idea which is more common but I imagine it's cultural.

A "couple of" means approximately and most likely 2, but that whether or not it is exactly 2 is unimportant. Generally speaking, if the number is more likely to be 3 than 2, I would not use "couple", because it's still more associated with the number 2 than 3. Saying "a couple" when you *know* that it's actually 2.9 years or that you will probably need a table for 3 is disingenuous and likely to cause trouble.

Yep, couple means exactly two to me. I’d say most people I know would agree with me

Probably two, but possibly three. (From Missouri USA)

i would say it's more nuanced. i don't know if anybody who says "a couple" to mean EXACTLY two things. more like 3-5 i'd say

Fans of [xkcd](https://xkcd.com/1070/) should know this one… A few - 2-5 A handful - 2-5 Several - 2-5 A couple - 2 but sometimes up to 5

To be honest, when I was younger I thought couple was synonymous with few. But now I would only say couple if I meant two.

If you say “a couple years ago” I would expect that you’re discussing something in 2023, maybe tail end of 2022.

I would interpret it as "about two." The thing is, if it were 3, it seems more natural to say "few" than "couple." I'd say "a couple" is roughly a 1.5 \~ 2.5 range.

I think it is not as rigid as that is making it out. **Couple** SHOULD mean "two" (2), but it can me more: "Hand me a couple of napkins, please." **Few** is less specific: "There were a few cars already in the parking lot." (How many? Doesn't say.)

A couple of years ago to me means 2 + a few is anywhere from 3-5

I generally don't see people adhering to this very strict interpretation of "a couple". A couple years ago could easily mean up to 5 years in my experience. more than that and i think "several" would be the more common wording. but thats just my experience in the mid-southern US.

"Couple" literally means two, but it's used very loosely when people say things like "a couple of days ago" or "I saw a couple of shops selling this item" or things like that. When seen in literature, you can assume it means two of a thing, but when used in ordinary speech, it seems to mean something between one and five.

As a native English speaker (American) I mean two when I say a couple, and I mean three when I say a few. Related, I mean "between 3 and 7" when I say several. I would never ask for a couple <whatever> if I wanted more than two.

Unhelpfully context dependent, I’d say. If you and one friend just opened a bottle of wine, and they say “grab a couple of glasses”, they mean two glasses. If your friend texts you and says “wanna come over for a couple glasses of wine?” they probably mean some arbitrary small number greater than one. They’re not going to be upset with you if you have 3.

Couple equals 2 but isn’t always used as tightly as the pic

"They make a nice couple." Would you be talking about two people or three or more? When you look at it that way, the answer is pretty obvious.

How many people in a married couple lol

I use "a couple" to refer to two things exactly, but your question is a little strange because I rarely refer to years in an exact way. If we're talking about something that would be measured in whole numbers, I would always use "a couple" to mean two. But when I give a number of years, I do mean it to be interpreted as approximate. So "a couple years ago" wouldn't be two years exactly (like not to the day), but it would certainly be more than one year and less than three.

In German there is "ein Paar" (capitalized: a pair, i.e. two), and "ein paar" (NOT capitalized: a few, some, mostly more than two.) "couple" is similar in that regard but English can't distinguish with capitalization, here.

I've always used it to mean essentially 2-4 or 2-5, but I've somewhat recently learned that some people use it strictly to mean 2. I suppose it varies. I'm from North Carolina if that helps, but I don't think it's regional

See, this seems to be a disagreement even among native speakers. I myself have just taken it to mean "two-ish" and for contexts where a specific number matters, I ask for clarification. Same with "a few"(generally meaning three-ish) or "several" (seven-ish) "Can you get me a couple doughnuts?" "Two doughnuts? Sure!" It clears up any misunderstandings.

Technically, it means two. Most of the time, it doesn’t matter if it represents two or “around” two. But if it matters that the person actually means more than two, couple should not be used. Use several, various, numerous, etc.

"A couple of..." reads as an intentionally loose 2. Similar to "Two-ish". Gives the listener/reader an idea of quantity without necessarily being specifically 2 because the person isn't sure in that moment for whatever reason.

A couple in almost all uses means two. "A couple of years ago," means two years, though because of how counting years works that's not a well defined time slot. For example it's May 2025, Feb 2023 is still a "couple" of years ago because 2023 is two years before 2025. Any time in 2022 is more than a couple of years ago though.

Anybody who tells you that "a couple of" must always refer to exactly two is probably being a pedantic asshole. In many contexts, and by definition, it will mean two. However, in real everyday speech people often loosen up about the rules somewhat, and this phrase is a great example of that because realistically, it can mean 2 or more up to a vague number, which will vary from person person to person, that feels like too much and crosses into the realm of "several" or some other phrase. The most important thing to remember when learning any language is that textbook grammar rules will only take you so far, at the end of the day it's about communicating with real people, and real people rarely all follow the same rules precisely. If you truly want to understand and be understood by people, you must accept that **there will always be some variation in language.**

couple = 2 a few = 3+ several = 5+ several and a few can usually be used interchangeably though

If someone says they have a couple of kids I never think three. Only two.

No. Neither is assigned to specific quantities.

Couple generally means two but with less time certainty. "I expect this will take 2 years" means you expect it will take almost exactly 2 years. Maybe there's a set timeframe, like you're doing a 2 year degree. "I expect this will take a couple of years" means you expect it will take somewhere around 2 years, give or take. The specificity will depend on the situation.

I think if ur talking ab a literal quantity, a couple is 2 and a few is 3+

i know in the southern US "a couple" can often mean "a few", but not in most other contexts that Im aware of.

I think "a couple" can be a synonym for "some" sometimes, but it is context dependent. If someone says "we're a couple", I know they mean them and their partner are in a relationship and no one else. If someone says "can I have a couple of napkins?", I take that to mean "some napkins" and that they wouldn't be mad if I brought them three or four napkins instead of just two.

I think it kinda depends on the context

A couple of is a small number, that I don't care to think about too specifically. "Do you remember when the Windows 10 was new and shiny just a couple of years ago?" In this sentence, it's closer to 10 than 2.

Unless the English speaker is a Trump supporter on which case it is impossible to tell what he means.

This is one of those things that nerds will insist has to be exactly by the book (couple = 2, no more no less) and literally everyone, including them, will not adhere to in everyday use. A couple of something is a small number of something.

Depends if US or non-US English I’d say. In US could be more than 2 but in non-US it’s only 2.

“A couple” means 2 “A couple of…” typically means a small number, higher than 1 but usually lower than 10

that's how it's supposed to go but realistically a couple of years ago just means that it was in the near-past, so somewhat recently but not like 10+ years ago

"does 'a couple' mean exactly 2?" will cause arguments between a lot of native speakers, don't worry about

Hi big brother Take a couple of sweets means take 2 only 2 have a 3rd and your fingers will be broken. Time can be more fluid couple of minutes weeks hours years just means more than 1 not very many

I've (West coast Scottish, native speaker of Scots-English) never thought about this but would likely only use "a couple" to refer to 2 in reference to years or people and otherwise it could be a number less than 5 for objects. I wouldn't say "a couple of years for 3 though, that'd be "3" or "a few", similarly "a couple of people" has to be 2 with all other small numbers being "a few".

For most people, probably not. For me, yes. I follow this general rule: A single = 1 A couple = 2 A few = 3–4 Several = 5+ Many = 10+

In my experience as a native speaker, no, we don’t use it to mean exactly two. We say a couple of years ago because we don’t actually remember how long ago the event in question happened. My vernacular comes from mainly south eastern US, but I would say it is well understood across the entire US that a couple years doesn’t imply two years exactly.

Me and my friend had this debate once actually. A couple of years ago. But I actually was the one debating the a couple means 2-3.

"A couple of drinks" - probably 2, but maybe 3. "A few drinks" - 3 or more, but you weren't exactly counting. "A couple years" - somewhere between 1.5 and 3 years. It rounds to 2, even if it's 2.75 and you still round down. "A few years" - 3+ years. They are both intentionally vague and only used when the actual number is not important. The only one that is specifically 3+ no matter what is "several."

I’ve always took “a couple” to mean two, but I don’t argue with people when whatever we’re referring to turns out to be more than two.

Honestly, this may not be a common trend, but I’ve always known a couple as 2, a few as 3, and some as 4+. Not sure where I picked it up in grade school, potentially my mom who is an English teacher

"A couple" means "two-ish". When you say it, the listener will generally interpret it as "two" and act accordingly, but they wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being three. If someone says "a couple" despite knowing it's exactly three, they're being intentionally vague to make the number seem smaller than it is.

It's a big difference in how I speak and how my girlfriend speaks. She uses "a couple Xs" to mean "exactly two Xs." When I say "a couple X", I mean something more like "very few X."

I'd say most understand "couple" to mean "two." But not *all.* And it's not necessarily exact; "couple of miles" doesn't need to mean 2.000 miles, no more no less. Yet another annoyingly contextual English thing.

Technically, this is correct. The word "couple" does refer to 2 and "few" does refer to 3 or more. But realistically, in English, we often use the phrase "a couple" to refer to a small number. If I say I'm going out with a couple of friends, that could be 2, but it may be 3 or 4 or even 5 friends (in addition to myself).

It doesn’t mean exactly 2 but it usually means about 2. You might say ‘a couple of minutes’ in that context it means about 2 minutes but not exactly. But in that context even saying ‘2 minutes’ can often mean about 2 minutes as well. If you were ordering a drink and said can I get a couple of margaritas I think most would understand you mean 2 It’s really context dependent wether you mean 2 or about 2 But it does usually refer to 2

I've learned to accept a couple as meaning 2 and a few as meaning a small number that is 3+. When I was probably 10 or 11 I got chips with dinner and my step-dad asked how many I got. I told him I got "a couple" and he got so pissed off at me for lying, screaming at me because I said I got a couple, when he "can see 10 right there." From that point on, a couple is 2 exactly, a few is 3+ but still a small number, context depending.

"I invited a couple over for drinks." This means two people who are in a relationship. "I invited a couple of people over for drinks." This means a small number of people, at least two, but it doesn't mean exactly two. TLDR: "A couple" = 2, "a couple of ____" = a handful

In my opinion the best simple explanation is that "a couple" means "about two". If I know it's exactly two I would probably just say "two". This interpretation works well with years, which of course can divided into months and days. So if I say something happened "a couple years ago" I mean "I think it was more than a year but probably less than three".

Native Speaker from Australia - "Couple of years ago" is an informal way of speaking as such I'm not being precise, it's an approximate reference point of when something happened. If I knew something was three years ago, would I use couple, no. But that's generally not the context I'm in when I use that terminology

Couple=2 maybe more if the person is 40+ or hungry Few=3-5 maybe more if the person is 30+ or very hungry Couplafew=no more than 10 probably single digits Handful=may vary depending on size of hands and item A bunch=10-12 or all A while=anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 years Back in the day=an infinite amount of time, however long it’s been since you were a child, teenager or young adult

The only reason I use it that way is because the people around me are *incredibly* insistent upon it. To the point they'll yell at me for "lying" if I refer to a group of 3 things as "a couple." Personally, *I* don't think it has to be that stringent. Do whatever. It's *fine.*

A couple literally means two, a pair, a brace, a duo. But in practice it can be used for an undefined small number.

I come from the American Midwest, so to me, “a couple” (unless I’m referring to a romantic couple) refers to three about as often as it refers to two

Phil Leotardo gotta couple of three things to say about this

Couple of usually means 2 or 3, sometimes 4. Very rarely 5. Exactly 2 is wrong. It is very common for referring to 3 Saying "They are a couple" = 2 and romantically Saying "They are a couple of people" = 2 - 4 and no insinuation

“A couple” means more than one, roughly two, but could be as many as a “few”, but not “several”, and never as many as “many”. These are vague and informal quantities. A says he lent B “a couple bucks”. It was actually five bucks. Did A lie? Probably not. A could take advantage of the imprecision of “a couple” in order to mislead. but if everyone is speaking and listening in good faith, they assume A refers to something small and not far from two. When people choose to use “a couple” or “a few” it’s understood that precision is not implied. The discussion does not require precision. Yes, a “couple” is two people, together. No, “he took a couple of hard shots to the body” does not mean precisely two. Police Officer: how many beers have you had tonight? Staggering Dude: I dunno, maybe a couple? Yes, Dude is trying to use the imprecision of “a couple” in order to under-report. It was five beers and, yes, Dude knows that’s not a couple. Yes, when Dude asked for “a couple of Bud Lites”, he meant exactly two. Presumably because the bar didn’t have any beer.

Probably 2-3 maybe 4 but usually by 5 it shifts towards several

Couple means either a pairing or a small number. A few can reach into larger numbers than a couple.

"A couple years ago" means "It was a while ago but not extremely long ago, I don't necessarily remember how long ago it was."

No. Equal to ot more than two. 'A couple of' is a phrase used to express several things.

If someone said “a couple of year” to mean 3 years, it would be fine. Even 5 years would be understandable but pushing the limit of “a couple”. It’s very pedantic to think the couple has to mean two in this usage.

a couple of means somewhere between 1-5

I think it implies that you really don’t remember exactly how long but *believe* it’s about two. Also, that the length of time isn’t so important that you’d want to figure it out exactly.

Sometimes I say a couple of and I mean like 5

Couple literally means 2, though it can be understood to be something like 3 depending on context.

Couple means two. "A few" is the small, undefined number.

A “couple of people” is definitely two people. As in when you start dating somebody, you become a “couple“. Yes, “couple” means two.

Funnily enough, I grew up thinking that a couple meant 2-3 or so. At some point in high school, I was corrected and now it seems crazy that I thought that! Haha

It should mean exactly two years ago, but people are sloppy with time. Was it 2 years ago, or was it 4, could it have been 6 months? Was it 10 years ago and it's just a vivid memory so it seems like it was 2 years.

I’ve always heard it as: Couple=2 Few=3-6 Several=7+

I always feel like I have to swap out "couple" for "few" because, even though they're synonymous for me (and I just prefer the former), I know some rando will interpret it as "2" when that's *not what I (a native) use it for!!*

A couple usually means 4-6, but when you're talking about years couple usually means roughly 2.

Couple is 2

Curious what you say when you want two. You say two of? If I say a couple of dudes walking down the street, are you imagining more than two? Interesting.

Couple as in a relationship and couple as in years are kinda like 2 different words. Couple as in a relationship will always mean 2 for 2 people. But for couple as in years I dont really ever think just two. I guess in the range of 2-4 years could seem appropriate anymore and you might as well just say the number. But it's definitely supposed to be more ambiguous, you don't know when it'll be so it's a wide estimate. It's used to put a positive spin on things. Like instead of saying it'll be with you in 3 days you'd just say it'll be with you in a couple of days. It makes it sound more ambiguous and makes it feel like less time until the thing will be with you

yeah a couple is a little less than a few. the big question is, where does “several” fit in?

As a German we have Paar(2) and paar(many) so I would go with many years from my personal feeling. Even if not, write 2 if you mean 2, it's shorter.

Its indefinite. Couple means two, but in cases where something may be a portion of a whole it can be slightly more than or less than 2. Or if someone is u sure if it's 1 or 2 or 3. Same with few- it means 3 but is indefinite.

Couple has a few different meanings. Your friend is conflating them. It's that simple. First, it can refer to a pair of some thing Second, it can mean to join/connect something (coupling in plumbing more refers to the joining together rather than the specific number of pipes, though it usually is two). Third, an indefinite small number of some thing Fourth, two There may be more but that is all I know off the top of my head.

Depends on context: if I say I want a 'couple of apples', that means I want two apples because apples are discrete. If I say "I'll be ready in a couple of minutes" it means I'll be ready somewhere between one and five minutes from now (but probably closer to 2-3)

I grew up in Australia, \~30 year old native English speaker. When I was growing up, couple always meant small undefined number (\~5 or less). After becoming an adult, I met a lot of people who say couple always means two. Nowadays I will just quickly verify "like, two?" before the conversation moves on.

Nope, and honestly I’ve never heard anyone use “couple” in the way the commenter is describing it used outside of professional settings.

Depends on if you are using a couple as a noun or as a pronoun. Same as in German.

Personally, yes, but I don't think it's a general rule at all.

Two or three. Never more than that. More than 3 and less than 6 for me is a few. More than six is several for me

I may be in the minority here, but I understand "a couple" to be exactly two, but in a situation where exactness isn't necessary. If I ask for a couple of something, I'm asking for two but I won't be bothered if you give me three or four. Likewise, If I say something happened a couple of times, it may have actually happened three or four times. If it happened five or more times, I'd probably say "a few" instead of "a couple"

I’m welsh, and if we mean two years ago we say two years ago, a couple years ago could be anything between 2 and 5 years ago, and a few years ago is anything between 5 and 1,000 years ago!!!

I've always thought of a couple as being ~around a handful. Hell anything up to 9 could be a couple to me. I think double digits is where I draw the line for myself 🤭 Couple of years? Yeah, I could probably fit a handful of those in my palm

I always assumed a couple in this context meant two and some change. Like not enough time to get to three but more than two

I would say generally, yes, can i have a couple apples is 2 apples. Can I have a few bananas is 3+ bananas

Question: if you say "A couple of hundreds", would a native speaker think of 200? Or more?

Couple almost always means two, few ALWAYS means 3 or more

A couple = Two A few = Three Four = Four A handful = Five I didn't make the rules

UK born here: when talking about the passage of time (a couple of weeks, months, years ago) I don't specifically mean exactly 2 weeks/months/years. I use it as a way to express an amount that is usually over 1. In terms of passage of time, a couple and a few are used interchangeably for me (although I default to couple)

To me it usually means exactly two (South African)

If someone meant 2 years, they would say biannual.

I think it regional. Growing up in the Midwest I always considered "a couple" of items to mean a small amount of items without knowing the exact amount. I actually didn't think "couple" (pair of things) and "a couple of" (undetermined amount) were even the same word. Just thought they were similarly spelled words. However, after moving to the south people much more often mean exactly 2. I ended up frustrating a few customers who asked for a couple of items, then when I asked them to clarify the amount they looked at me like I'm crazy. I've brought it up a bit, and in the south it seems to overwhelmingly mean exactly 2. In the midwest I think it's split.

i've said "a couple" when i don't even remember the exact number...so it could mean like 2-10 years

a couple means two. "a couple two, tree" means a few.

I use couple and few interchangeably most of the time. Im aware they're not exactly the same, but i use them both to refer to, like you said, a small unidentified amount of something. It's not "proper" but it gets the point across just the same.

It means specifically 2. Occasionally, someone will use it to mean an unspecified small number, but that's an incorrect use of the word.

Generally, it's a different level of certainty. If I say I graduated 2 years ago I mean pretty close to 2 years ago if I say a couple of years ago I'm usually estimating. It might be 2 years, it might be 3, or it might be a few months shy. Same for a few its less certain than saying 3 years ago. If I know how many years it's been I say how many years, if I feel it's been x amount of time but haven't checked or don't remember for sure I say a couple, or a few.

1.5 to 2.9 It means two of something discrete, but periods of time are not discrete & that phrase suggests estimation. I wouldn’t say someone lied if it turned out to be 2 or 4 years ago, but they’d have been mistaken & misled the listener if it was more than 3 years.

Short but concise answer. It means 2-ish

I always thought a couple means two. Then I ordered a couple donuts one time and they asked me how many. I said “a couple” and they were like “yeah, but how many?”

“A couple” is two. “A couple, two tree” is “meh about two, maybe more” in chicagoese

A couple would, for me, generally mean 2 years - or a tiny bit less. Anything over 2 and I’d say it was “a few years ago.”

"A couple" means 2 whereas "a couple of" means 2-3. Source: a big ass dictionary that sat on its own stand in my friends living room in the pre internet 1990s. Reason for checking, to settle this exact dispute.

Context matters. Couple means exactly two in some cases (“they are a couple” means that those two people are in a romantic relationship, if a third person joined in we’d use the slang term throuple). However, “a couple” means two-ish. If someone said they’d had a couple beers and they had five, that would not be accurate, but if they had three then couple would be accurate (although seem as a minimization, because couple and two are strongly tied together).

Dude, you pulled a specific clip from a known time. You shouldn't be using an indefinite number at all, you should be using the actual number of years ago it was, since you know the actual number of years. Disingenuous doesn't become less so with correct word usage.