How to say “maybe” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
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A dip then a rise: kě-néng. 可能 works both as 'maybe' and as 'might' before a verb. For a hedging 'perhaps' at the start of a sentence, 也许 (yěxǔ) is common; for 'probably' say 大概 (dàgài).
In a sentence
Tā kěnéng míngtiān lái.
He might come tomorrow.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "maybe" in Chinese?+
"maybe" in Mandarin Chinese is 可能, pronounced kěnéng. A dip then a rise: kě-néng. 可能 works both as 'maybe' and as 'might' before a verb. For a hedging 'perhaps' at the start of a sentence, 也许 (yěxǔ) is common; for 'probably' say 大概 (dàgài).
What does 可能 mean literally?+
可能 breaks down as 可 (kě) = can / may, 能 (néng) = able. Together it means "maybe".
How do I get the tones right in kěnéng?+
A dip then a rise: kě-néng. 可能 works both as 'maybe' and as 'might' before a verb. For a hedging 'perhaps' at the start of a sentence, 也许 (yěxǔ) is common; for 'probably' say 大概 (dàgài).
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