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"Possibly" is an adverb which is often translated as "posiblemente", and "maybe" is an adverb which is often translated as "tal vez". Learn more about the difference between "possibly" and "maybe" below.
possibly(
pa
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sih
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bli
)An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
1. (perhaps)
a. posiblemente
I will possibly arrive late, so you can start without me.Posiblemente llegue tarde, así que podéis empezar sin mí.
c. puede que
I'm pretty sure he is coming, possibly with his girlfriend.Estoy seguro de que va a venir, puede que con su novia.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
How could I possibly have done it with you watching me the whole time?¿Cómo iba a hacerlo si me estabas observando todo el tiempo?
They could not have possibly helped him; they are very poor.No podrían haberlo ayudado; son muy pobres.
maybe(
mey
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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.
