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"Don't know" is a form of "know", a transitive verb which is often translated as "saber". "Maybe" is an adverb which is often translated as "tal vez". Learn more about the difference between "maybe" and "don't know" below.
maybe(
mey
-
bi
)An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I'm not sure if I can go yet. - Shall I put you down as a maybe then?No estoy segura todavía de si podré ir. - ¿Te pongo entonces como quizá?
Is that a yes then? - No, it's a maybe.¿Entonces tu respuesta es que sí? - No, más bien diría que tal vez.
know(
no
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. saber
Do you know when the next bus is leaving?¿Sabes a qué hora sale el próximo autobús?
He knows French, Spanish, and German.Sabe francés, español y alemán.
a. conocer
I know her from school, but we're not really friends.La conozco de la escuela, pero realmente no somos amigos.
a. saber
I don't know if you should walk home so late.No sé si deberías caminar sola a tu casa a esta hora.
a. saberse
Do you know the alphabet yet?¿Ya te sabes el abecedario?
He knows a lot about the American Civil War.Se sabe mucho de la guerra civil estadounidense.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
