日本語で考えてから英語に訳そうとすると、誤解を招く表現が多々あります。会話の中で「楽しめた」と表現したいとき、"could enjoy" を使っていませんか？
Have you ever said something like this?
A: How was your weekend?
B: It was fine. I could enjoy a relaxing time.
A lot of non-native English speakers use “could” when they talk about things they did, but it sounds very strange in English. It's often a direct translation of 「楽しめた」. The meaning is understandable, so you might not notice the mistake.
But it is not quite right. Let's talk about why it is not correct and what would be better.
"Could" is used with “have” to talk about things that did not happen, and it's common to add a conditional "if" statement.
I could have enjoyed the meal if it wasn’t so spicy!
"Could have" may also be used when you aren’t sure if something has happened.
A: Has Joe already arrived at the office?
B: I actually just arrived so I’m not sure. He could have.
"Could" is usually used to show possibility. It is also used for things that did not happen.
If you want to add impact to actions, simply use “really”, “a lot” or other intensifiers.
A: How was your weekend?
B: It was great. I really enjoyed it. I just relaxed at home.