Learn "Maybe" in Spanish
Are you a beginner student? Maybe you’re looking to level up to intermediate or beyond. That’s awesome! It’s going take some patience, time, dedication, and sticking with it. But hey, here’s the scoop: moving up from beginner level is usually quicker than once you hit intermediate. So take each stage as its own gig, or you’ll end up feeling frustrated.
But hey, it’s also cool if you’re not planning to advance much further. Maybe you’re learning Spanish for travel, for instance, and you know you won’t have the time or dedication to keep pushing forward, right? No sweat, everyone’s got their own deal with life and time. So if that’s your gig, maybe what you need is to be able to communicate simply but correctly.
Of course, when we talk about simple and correct communication, we’re talking about structures and words that don’t overcomplicate things, right? That’s when we realize we need the word “maybe” or “perhaps” in Spanish, and then we look and see that of all the options the dictionary gives us, “Quizás” seems to be the quickest because it’s just one word to learn how to say “Maybe” in Spanish.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNNEL
If you like my content, and want to help me keep creating it, donations are welcome. Thanks!
How to Say “Maybe” in Spanish? Ways to Say “Perhaps” & “Maybe”
When it comes to expressing uncertainty or possibility in Spanish, there are several phrases you can use.
So, it’s true. Yep, “Quizás” is just a word. What about “Tal vez”, only two.
The snag is, at the level you’re cruising at, like A1 or A2, this word might throw some grammatical curveballs your way. In this video, I aim to hook you up with three words that’ll come in handy. Why? Well, because with these three, you can keep on rollin’ at your current level without overcomplicating things. At the beginner level, we’re all about the indicative mood. All the tenses you’re learning are in the indicative mood: present, future with “ir,” preterites, you name it. And the word “Quizás,” just like “Tal vez,” which means exactly the same thing, sometimes calls for the indicative and sometimes for the subjunctive. Now, the subjunctive usually gets tackled more toward the intermediate level, so lots of folks who aren’t planning to level up might need things a bit easier. “A lo mejor” in a sentence.
One of the most versatile phrases to convey “maybe” in Spanish is “a lo mejor.” This expression is widely used in both casual and formal contexts, making it an essential addition to your vocabulary.
“Quizás” or “Tal vez”
Another way to say “maybe” in Spanish is by using “quizás” or “tal vez.” These phrases are interchangeable and are often used interchangeably with “a lo mejor.” One is one word, the other one is two, and the easiest, believe me is three words.
How Does “A lo mejor” Mean “Maybe”?
The phrase “a lo mejor” literally translates to “at the best” in English. However, in Spanish, it’s used to express uncertainty or the likelihood of something happening. For example:
- A lo mejor llueve mañana. (Maybe it will rain tomorrow.)
What is the Difference Between “Quizás” and “A lo mejor”?
I’ve heard there are subtle differences, that with “A lo mejor,” there’s less certainty. Honestly, I think it’s pretty relative and subjective. I don’t reckon natives listening would pick up on that, so for me, they’re pretty much interchangeable.
Anyway, when I brought all this about saying “Maybe” or “Perhaps” in Spanish in an easier way on a popular video platform, a student quickly jumped in, a tad peeved with me. They said maybe the teachers’ mistake is teaching the subjunctive too late. Well, that’s up for debate and might be true in some cases. But here, we’re not talking about when to start with the subjunctive. We’re talking about why someone’s learning Spanish, what their purpose and goal with it. So, this video’s got a clear idea of who it’s aimed at. I’ve never ever been someone trying to hold students back or prevent them from learning different ways to say things. ¡Dios me libre de esto! As a Spanish idiom says. Learning different ways to say the same idea is part of language fluency.
So, in this little gap I’ve got between classes, in my “Spanish on The Fly,” I’ll quickly break down a trick that just needs three words to express those ideas with a “maybe” or a “perhaps” as accurately as possible. Wanna check it out?
Si quieres seguir aprendiendo, no olvides echar un vistazo también a mis podcasts de nivel inicial con transcripción incluida 😉 clicando aquí.