You use could to talk about a possibility, ability, or opportunity that depends on other conditions. Their hope was that a new and better East Germany could be born.

"Could" is a modal verb used to express possibility or past ability as well as to make suggestions and requests. "Could" is also commonly used in conditional sentences as the conditional form of "can."

We use could to ask for permission. Could is more formal and polite than can: Could I ask you a personal question?

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