Let’s continue to explore Chinese language in common, daily life situations.
Today, let’s look at the times when you’ll need to say “maybe” or “I’m not sure” – and express your uncertainty about something.
Take a look at these 5 phrases for both formal and informal conversations 👇
5 Ways to Say “Maybe”
1. 有可能 (Yǒu kěnéng)
The most common way to express possibility in Chinese is 可能 kěnéng – “perhaps, maybe”.
To say that “there is a chance” something might happen, say:
有可能
Yǒu kěnéng
Maybe; there is a chance (that)…
(lit. “have-possibility”)
EXAMPLE
A: 今天会下雨吗？
A: Jīntiān huì xià yǔ ma?
A: Will it rain today?
B: 有可能。
B: Yǒu kěnéng.
B: Possibly (it might rain).
2. 不一定 (Bùyídìng)
To add a little bit less certainty to your answer, use the phrase:
不一定
Bùyídìng
Not necessarily; not certainly
(lit. “not-certainly”)
EXAMPLE
A: 今天会下雨吗？
A: Jīntiān huì xià yǔ ma?
A: Will it rain today?
B: 不一定。
B: Bùyídìng.
B: Not necessarily.
3. 说不定 (Shuōbudìng)
To express that something is completely a matter of chance – with unpredictable results – say:
说不定
Shuōbudìng
Who knows; it’s hard to say
(lit. “tell-not-certain”)
You can use this phrase on its own, or within a sentence:
EXAMPLE
你带把伞吧，说不定会下雨。
Nǐ dài bǎ sǎn ba, shuōbudìng huì xià yǔ.
Take an umbrella with you, just in case it rains.
4. 看情况 (Kàn qíngkuàng)
Whenever the result of a situation depends on some external factors – out of your control – you can say:
(要)看情况
(Yào) kàn qíngkuàng
It depends
(lit. “(need)-see-situation”)
EXAMPLE
这个不一定，要看情况。
Zhè gè bùyídìng, yào kàn qíngkuàng.
That’s not necessarily the case; it depends on the situation.
5. 也许 (yěxǔ)
Finally, let’s look at a little bit more formal, but elegant way to say “maybe”:
也许
yěxǔ
Perhaps
It can be used interchangeably with 可能 (kěnéng), just in formal situations.
EXAMPLE
你试试吧，也许能成功。
Nǐ shìshi ba, yěxǔ néng chénggōng.
Give it a try, maybe it will work.
(lit. “you-try-try-ba, perhaps-can-succeed”)
Bonus: Infographics on Possibilities in Chinese
And if you like visual explanations – here’s a way to think of possibilities in Chinese from 0% to 100%:
Not so difficult, right?
Try at least one (or all) of these phrases in your future conversations 💬
