也许 (yě xǔ) — perhaps in Mandarin

perhaps

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#705 most common word · HSK 4 · CEFR B2

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

也许 is pronounced yě xǔ. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

third tone (low dipping, ˇ)
third tone (low dipping, ˇ)

In a sentence

Yě xǔ míng tiān huì xià yǔ.

Perhaps it will rain tomorrow.

Hear it, then say it right

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Frequently asked questions

What does 也许 mean?+

也许 (yě xǔ) means "perhaps" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 也许?+

也许 is pronounced yě xǔ. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 也许 in Mandarin?+

也许 is the #705 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 也许 fits

HSK 4 · CEFR B2
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Every HSK 4 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

Words at a similar frequency

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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.