“Woulda coulda shoulda” \u00a0or \u201ccoulda shoulda woulda\u201d and \u201cshoulda coulda woulda\u201d are all expressions that mean the same thing; they express a feeling of regret or second-guessing.<\/p>\n
These expressions (really all just variations on one expression) all use an informal form of\u00a0 the conditional subjunctive verb tense<\/em>: would have = would\u2019ve = woulda, could have = could\u2019ve = coulda, and should have = should\u2019ve = shoulda.\u00a0 These conditional verbs are in the subjunctive mood, because they imply possible or theoretical conditions, otherwise known as “wishful thinking.”\u00a0 These conditionals are used to indicate what could have, would have, or should have happened if what actually happened was different.<\/p>\n “Woulda coulda shoulda” circumstances happen more often than many people like to admit. For example, a nervous teenage boy wanting to ask a girl out on a first date may get too nervous and not do so, but then later realize that he “woulda coulda shoulda” asked the girl out on a date while the two were talking earlier in the day. \u00a0Or after getting in a car accident a driver might think of what she\/he would have done differently, could have have done differently, or should have done differently, to prevent the accident. \u00a0For many people, there is a clear difference between what actually happened and what one wishes would have happened in a given situation.\u00a0 Sometimes people realize a number of options they could have or should have taken instead of the action they actually did take after the situation is over.\u00a0 This feeling of regret or second-guessing is summed up in the expression \u201cwoulda coulda shoulda.\u201d<\/p>\n Interestingly there is even a song about this expression in English. \u00a0Below is the music video for this song and the lyrics so you can follow along.<\/p>\n