Maybe in Different Languages
Discover 'Maybe' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Maybe is a small word that carries a world of possibility. It's a linguistic bridge between certainty and doubt, a gentle way to express uncertainty or openness to different outcomes. This simple word has woven its way into the fabric of many languages and cultures, reflecting the universal nature of human hesitation and hope.
Throughout history, maybe has played a significant role in various cultural contexts. In literature, it's often used to build suspense or leave room for interpretation. In everyday conversation, it's a diplomatic tool that helps us navigate delicate situations and maintain social harmony.
Given its importance and ubiquity, it's no surprise that many language learners want to know how to say maybe in different languages. After all, understanding this term can open doors to more nuanced communication and cross-cultural connections.
Here are some translations of maybe in various languages, from the romantic French 'peut-être' to the rhythmic Japanese 'tabun'.
Maybe
Maybe in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kan wees | ||
| "Kan wees" is also a contraction of "kan dit wees" or "can it be". | |||
| Amharic | ምን አልባት | ||
| The word "ምን አልባት" is made up of the words "ምን" (what) and "አልባት" (perhaps), so it literally means "what perhaps". | |||
| Hausa | watakila | ||
| "Watakila" is derived from the Arabic word "wa" (and) and the Hausa word "ta kila" (maybe), and can also mean "perhaps" or "possibly". | |||
| Igbo | enwere ike | ||
| The Igbo word "enwere ike" (maybe) also means "it is possible" or "it is not impossible". | |||
| Malagasy | angamba | ||
| The word "angamba" also means "doubtful" or "uncertain" and is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *ngamba, which means "to tremble" or "to shake". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mwina | ||
| Mwina shares its root word with Malawi, the native name for this Nyanja language, which means 'flames'. While there is not a literal connection between flames and the word for 'maybe', this does suggest the word is ancient and possibly originated with the fireside stories of early Malawians. | |||
| Shona | pamwe | ||
| "Pamwe" in Shona can also mean "along the way, perhaps, about, approximately." | |||
| Somali | waxaa laga yaabaa in | ||
| This phrase can also be used to express a future possibility, like "You might be right". | |||
| Sesotho | mohlomong | ||
| "Mohlomong" is a diminutive form of the verb "ho leka," meaning to think, and implies uncertainty. | |||
| Swahili | labda | ||
| The word "labda" in Swahili can also be used to express doubt or hesitation. | |||
| Xhosa | ingayiyo | ||
| 'Ingayiyo' is an ambiguous word that can also mean 'in a while', 'a short while ago', 'recently', 'soon', 'presently', 'for the time being', or 'just now'. | |||
| Yoruba | boya | ||
| The Yoruba word "boya" also means "perhaps", "possibly", or "by chance" | |||
| Zulu | kungenzeka | ||
| Kungenzeka comes from the Zulu word 'kunga', meaning 'to be possible', and '-enzeka', meaning 'to happen'. | |||
| Bambara | a bɛ se ka kɛ | ||
| Ewe | ɖewohĩ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | birashoboka | ||
| Lingala | mbala mosusu | ||
| Luganda | ndowooza | ||
| Sepedi | mohlomongwe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ebia | ||
Maybe in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يمكن | ||
| In the Gulf dialect of Arabic, "يمكن" is also used to express permission. | |||
| Hebrew | אולי | ||
| אולי comes from the Talmudic Hebrew word | |||
| Pashto | امکان لری | ||
| The word "امکان لری" in Pashto is composed of the Arabic word "امکان" (possibility) and the Pashto suffix "-لری" (possibility, potential). | |||
| Arabic | يمكن | ||
| In the Gulf dialect of Arabic, "يمكن" is also used to express permission. | |||
Maybe in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ndoshta | ||
| "Ndoshta" originates from the Old Albanian "doshtë," "to want," and implies both "maybe" and "probably." | |||
| Basque | agian | ||
| The word 'agian' is related to 'agian' ('opportunity'), 'a-gi-' ('chance') and 'egin' ('do'). | |||
| Catalan | pot ser | ||
| The Catalan word "pot ser" (maybe) derives from the Latin "*potest esse", meaning "it can be". | |||
| Croatian | može biti | ||
| In Croatian, the word 'može biti' can also be interpreted as 'it is possible that' or 'there may be a chance that'. | |||
| Danish | måske | ||
| The word "måske" is derived from the Old Norse word "má+skí", meaning "more+likely". | |||
| Dutch | kan zijn | ||
| "Kan zijn" translates to "can be" in English, but it is often used as a colloquial alternative for "maybe". | |||
| English | maybe | ||
| The word "maybe" originated in the Middle English phrase "may be," which expressed possibility or permission. | |||
| French | peut être | ||
| The French phrase "peut être" literally translates to "can be". | |||
| Frisian | miskien | ||
| "Miskien" is a contraction of the Frisian sentence "it miskien", meaning "it is possible". | |||
| Galician | pode ser | ||
| "Pode ser" can be interpreted as "maybe" in Portuguese, but its literal translation is "can be". | |||
| German | könnte sein | ||
| Könnte sein derives from the Old High German phrase 'kuonta sin', meaning 'it could be' | |||
| Icelandic | kannski | ||
| The word "kannski" comes from the Old Norse word "kanske" and is related to the German word "könnte". | |||
| Irish | b'fhéidir | ||
| The word "b'fhéidir" ("maybe" in Irish) is a contraction of "ba fhéidir" which means "it might be". It is also used to express uncertainty or indecision. | |||
| Italian | può essere | ||
| The Italian word "può essere" can also mean "it could be" or "it is possible". | |||
| Luxembourgish | vläicht | ||
| "Vläicht" comes from the Old High German word "wēlih", meaning "wavering". | |||
| Maltese | jista 'jkun | ||
| The verb "jista' jkun" means "to be able to be" and can express "maybe" when followed by a clause expressing a possible state. | |||
| Norwegian | kan være | ||
| In Old Norse, “kan” originally meant “power” or “ability”, while “være” meant “to be”. Thus, “kan være” literally meant “can be”. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | talvez | ||
| The Portuguese word "talvez" derives from the Latin "talis velle" meaning "such to wish". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | is dòcha | ||
| "Is dòcha" literally means "it is possible" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | tal vez | ||
| The Spanish word "tal vez" is composed of the words "tal" (such) and "vez" (time), and can also mean "perhaps" or "it is possible that". | |||
| Swedish | kanske | ||
| The word "kanske" in Swedish originally meant "perhaps it is so" but has come to mean "maybe". | |||
| Welsh | efallai | ||
| From the word 'effallai', 'efallai' comes from 'efall', 'fall' or 'fall'. In Irish, 'fall' means 'perhaps', but in Welsh it only means 'fall' or 'fall' and never means 'perhaps' or 'maybe'. | |||
Maybe in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | можа быць | ||
| Bosnian | možda | ||
| "Možda" derives from the Old Slavic root "možd," meaning strength or firmness, implying certainty rather than uncertainty. | |||
| Bulgarian | може би | ||
| The Bulgarian word "може би" can also be used to express uncertainty or doubt. | |||
| Czech | možná | ||
| Možná is derived from the Old Czech word 'možný', meaning 'possible', and is related to the Slovak word 'možno', also meaning 'maybe'. | |||
| Estonian | võib olla | ||
| Võib-olla originated from the old Estonian phrase "voi olla", meaning "it is possible". | |||
| Finnish | voi olla | ||
| Voi olla is a shortened form of 'voisi olla', which can mean 'could be' or 'might be'. | |||
| Hungarian | talán | ||
| Talán is also the Hungarian word for "perhaps" and "possibly". | |||
| Latvian | var būt | ||
| The word derives from "vai" (or) or "vai nu" (perhaps, I doubt) with the suffix "-t" | |||
| Lithuanian | gal būt | ||
| Gal būt, also spelled gabūt, derives from an ancient Baltic word meaning "perhaps." | |||
| Macedonian | можеби | ||
| The word "можеби" in Macedonian is etymologically related to "може би" in Bulgarian, both meaning "maybe", and to the Turkish word "muhakkak", meaning "certain". | |||
| Polish | może | ||
| "Może" has a more formal meaning of "it is possible that" or "perhaps". | |||
| Romanian | poate | ||
| In Romanian, "poate" can also mean "maybe soon" or "it's possible that". | |||
| Russian | может быть | ||
| The word "может быть" can also mean "perhaps" or "possibly". | |||
| Serbian | можда | ||
| The Serbian word "можда" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *možda, meaning "possibility". Its cognates include the Russian word "может" and the Polish word "może" | |||
| Slovak | možno | ||
| The word "možno" in Slovak also means "possible" and "it is possible". | |||
| Slovenian | mogoče | ||
| The word "mogoče" in Slovenian can also mean "perhaps", "possibly", or "it is possible that". | |||
| Ukrainian | можливо | ||
| The word "можливо" can also mean "optionally, perhaps" or "it is possible". | |||
Maybe in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হতে পারে | ||
| The word "হতে পারে" in Bengali can also refer to possibility, likelihood, or probability. | |||
| Gujarati | કદાચ | ||
| Hindi | शायद | ||
| The Hindi word "शायद" derives from the Persian word "شاید" (shoyad), meaning "it is possible" or "it may be". | |||
| Kannada | ಇರಬಹುದು | ||
| "ಇರಬಹುದು" is a compound word derived from the root "ಇರು" (to be) and the auxiliary verb "ಬಹುದು" (possibility), suggesting a tentative or possible state of being. | |||
| Malayalam | ഒരുപക്ഷേ | ||
| Marathi | कदाचित | ||
| The word "कदाचित" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "कदाचिद्" which means "some time, at any time". | |||
| Nepali | हुनसक्छ | ||
| "हुनसक्छ" is the contraction of "होस्" ("to be/exist") and "सक्छ" ("can") and is used as the equivalent of English "can be". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ਾਇਦ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਸ਼ਾਇਦ" is derived from the Persian word "شاید" (shayad), which also means "maybe". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සමහරවිට | ||
| The word “සමහරවිට” is derived from the Sanskrit word “सम्भवतः” (sambhavataḥ), which means “probably” or “possibly”. | |||
| Tamil | இருக்கலாம் | ||
| Telugu | బహుశా | ||
| The word "బహుశా" is derived from the Sanskrit word "बहु" (many) and "शः" (likely), hence meaning "possibly" or "probably". | |||
| Urdu | شاید | ||
| Urdu "شاید" derives from the Arabic word "شئ" ("thing"), meaning "that thing" or "that which" in the sense of "possibly" or "maybe." | |||
Maybe in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 也许 | ||
| 「也许」源于「亦需」，表示「也需要」或「也必须」 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 也許 | ||
| 「也許」是「或許」的通假，意即「大概、可能」的意思。 | |||
| Japanese | 多分 | ||
| The word "tabun" (maybe) originally meant "a guess" or "a conjecture" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 아마도 | ||
| '아마도' is derived from '아모' meaning 'perhaps' and has no relation to '마도' meaning 'evil way'. | |||
| Mongolian | магадгүй | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖြစ်နိုင်စရာ | ||
Maybe in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mungkin | ||
| The word 'mungkin' has several alternate meanings, including 'perhaps', 'possibly', 'it is possible', and 'it may be'. | |||
| Javanese | bisa uga | ||
| bisa uga is also used in certain Indonesian dialects to express doubt or disbelief | |||
| Khmer | ប្រហែល | ||
| Lao | ບາງທີ | ||
| Malay | mungkin | ||
| The word "mungkin" is derived from Arabic and also means "possible". | |||
| Thai | อาจจะ | ||
| "อาจจะ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "iccha" meaning "intention" or "will", and is related to the Thai word "ตั้งใจ" meaning "to intend". | |||
| Vietnamese | có lẽ | ||
| The word "có lẽ" is derived from the Chinese word "可能", meaning "possible", and can also mean "likely" or "probably". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | siguro | ||
Maybe in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ola bilər | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "ola bilər" could originally mean "that could be" or "it is possible" rather than "maybe" as it does in the modern language. | |||
| Kazakh | мүмкін | ||
| The word "мүмкін" in Kazakh can also mean "possible" or "perhaps", and its root "мүм" is derived from the Arabic word "ممكن" (mumkin), meaning "that which is possible". | |||
| Kyrgyz | болушу мүмкүн | ||
| Tajik | мумкин ки | ||
| Derived from Persian, "мумкин ки" (мумкин ки) may also mean "it is possible that" or "there is a chance that". | |||
| Turkmen | belki | ||
| Uzbek | balki | ||
| Balki is also used to express uncertainty or to avoid giving a definite answer. | |||
| Uyghur | مۇمكىن | ||
Maybe in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | paha | ||
| "Paha" originates from "pakaha," which translates to "maybe; perhaps; in part; sometimes." | |||
| Maori | akene | ||
| The word "akene" also means "seed" or "stone" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | atonu | ||
| Atonu can also mean 'perhaps' or 'I think so'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | siguro | ||
| The word "siguro" is derived from the Spanish word "seguro", meaning "certain" or "sure". | |||
Maybe in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | inasa | ||
| Guarani | ikatu mba'e | ||
Maybe in International Languages
| Esperanto | eble | ||
| The Esperanto word "eble" comes from the Hebrew word "afel", meaning "possibility". | |||
| Latin | maybe | ||
| The word "maybe" is derived from the Latin phrase "mea culpa", meaning "my fault" or "I am responsible" | |||
Maybe in Others Languages
| Greek | μπορεί | ||
| The word "μπορεί" comes from the verb "μπορώ" which means "I can" and is also used to express ability or possibility. | |||
| Hmong | tej zaum | ||
| The word "tej zaum" can also mean "perhaps" or "possibly" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | belkî | ||
| "Belkî" also refers to a condition or an expectation in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | olabilir | ||
| The word "olabilir" can also mean "it is possible" or "it might be" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ingayiyo | ||
| 'Ingayiyo' is an ambiguous word that can also mean 'in a while', 'a short while ago', 'recently', 'soon', 'presently', 'for the time being', or 'just now'. | |||
| Yiddish | זאל זיין | ||
| The Yiddish term "זאל זיין" also means "let it be" or "may it be" in a wish or prayer. | |||
| Zulu | kungenzeka | ||
| Kungenzeka comes from the Zulu word 'kunga', meaning 'to be possible', and '-enzeka', meaning 'to happen'. | |||
| Assamese | হয়তো | ||
| Aymara | inasa | ||
| Bhojpuri | हो सकेला | ||
| Dhivehi | ފަހަރެއްގަ | ||
| Dogri | होई सकदा ऐ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | siguro | ||
| Guarani | ikatu mba'e | ||
| Ilocano | siguro | ||
| Krio | sɔntɛm | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕەنگە | ||
| Maithili | संभवतः | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯝꯕꯉꯝꯗꯕ | ||
| Mizo | maithei | ||
| Oromo | tarii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବୋଧ ହୁଏ | ||
| Quechua | ichapas | ||
| Sanskrit | भवेत् | ||
| Tatar | бәлки | ||
| Tigrinya | ምናልባት | ||
| Tsonga | kumbexana | ||