So many ways to say maybe in Spanish.

Question

When I speak Spanish with some of my friends and other spanish speaking people that I know, I realized that there are so many ways to say maybe in Spanish.

Quizás (Quizá)

Talvez (Tal vez)

Puede ser que

De pronto

A lo mejor

If you know of any more ways to say it feel free to add. I just think that it's funny how many ways there are.

I was going to be researching this very question during the weekend! You must have read my mind?? - territurtle, Jul 19, 2011

I can see into your mind ;) - eltennis97, Jul 20, 2011

Answer 1

All these words/phrases can mean perhaps:

1 Quizá o Quizás

2 Tal vez

3 Puede ser

4 A lo mejor (update; Jeremiah informs me/us that it's use is not restricted to Spain as I had previously thought )

These words can mean something similar but not the same

1 Posiblemente = possibly o es posible que = It's possible that....

I hope this helps

Answer 2

Doesn't "de pronto" mean "suddenly"?

That's what I thought, but after I heard it a couple of times, I asked a few native spanish speakers and they all said it meant maybe. Maybe it means different things in different places, all three people who I asked were columbian.

From the RAE dictionary:

de pronto.

1. loc. adv. Apresuradamente, sin reflexión.

2. loc. adv. de repente (? súbitamente, sin preparación).

3. loc. adv. Col. posiblemente. (Col. = Colombia)

You learn something new everyday!

Oh... I didn't know that. - eltennis97, Jul 19, 2011

Great response:) - FELIZ77, Jul 19, 2011

one sec, what is the rae dictionary - eltennis97, Jul 19, 2011

rae = Real Academia Española (http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/) - gintar77, Jul 19, 2011

Answer 3

Interesting Here are some more that are close to "maybe"

Probablemente, posiblemente

Probably, possibly

Answer 4

Also "chance" as in "chance sí," "chance no."

Wow, Julian. That's a new one for me. Could you give me an example sentence? - MLucie, Jul 19, 2011

¿Va a llover hoy? ...... Chance - 005faa61, Jul 20, 2011

Answer 5

A note about a lo mejor:

1, It's use is not restricted to Spain (see comment elsewhere). It is certainly in wide use in Mexico and, I think, pretty much wherever Spanish is spoken.

2, It almost always (maybe always, but I am not sure), takes the indicative. In other words, it expresses "maybe" in a rather postive light. No subjunctive here.

Agreed on both counts. - gintar77, Jul 19, 2011

Wealth of information and brilliant presentation! Thanks!! - territurtle, Jul 19, 2011

Thank you for clarifying the use of a lo mejor Jeremias :) - FELIZ77, Jul 20, 2011

Answer 6

"(es) capaz (que)" is used in Latin America.

Just where I'm headed! - territurtle, Jul 19, 2011

Glad to have helped! :) I'm sure there are others too, it's a good question. - Vikingo, Jul 20, 2011

Answer 7

I have to think de pronto ,,,,, is different,,,, but like to learn the others,, thanks much.,,

De pronto means maybe in certain parts of South America, like columbia - eltennis97, Jul 20, 2011

Answer 8

Doesn't "de pronto" mean "suddenly"?

That's what I thought, but after I heard it a couple of times, I asked a few native spanish speakers and they all said it meant maybe. - eltennis97, Jul 19, 2011

Maybe it means different things in different places, all three people who I asked were columbian. - eltennis97, Jul 19, 2011

de repente means suddenly or subitamente :) - FELIZ77, Jul 19, 2011

yeah, feliz, so does "de pronto" - see my other post - gintar77, Jul 19, 2011