Maybe meaning in English

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Definition

maybe: perhaps, possibly adverb
Maybe Susie's right. We can't be sure.

Examples

  • "Brian : No! Maybe."
  • "Bruno : Maybe."
  • "Olaf : Maybe."
  • "So, maybe a feather boa?"
  • "Inga : Well maybe a glass of water, and some milk for you."
  • "(to staff) See you guys later...maybe!"
  • "Also... says something here about nuclear weapons, so maybe that's not the best idea."
  • "Maybe I'll go then."
  • "Bob Maybe Maybe"
  • "Maybe we should be doing something more meaningful with our lives...like helping people."
  • "Maybe someone inside knows Lucky."
  • "In fact, maybe one day... you'll work for me!"
  • "Maybe Maybe"
  • "Bruno : Maybe a little."
  • "Maybe I should do this by myself."
  • "You could DJ if you want, maybe bring that baba ghanoush that you make."
  • "Or she's here... Or they're here... maybe it's twins!"
  • "Maybe I'm crazy, Maybe you're crazy."
  • "Donna Maybe Maybe"
  • "Maybe I should be more modern?"
Exercise 1
Last week, I was thinking about going on a date with Philip. I thought that he wasn't such a bad guy after all. For example, I thought to myself, it couldn't be true that he sometimes dates two women at once. Then, I saw him kissing his colleague's wife! I am absolutely sure of it... I'm not going out with him!
Last week, I was thinking about possibly 1 going on a date with Philip. I thought that maybe 2 he wasn't such a bad guy after all. For example, I thought to myself, it couldn't possibly 3 be true that he sometimes dates two women at once. Then, I saw him kissing his colleague's wife! I am absolutely sure of it... I'm definitely 4 not going out with him!
1 possibly: 'Possibly' correctly expresses the chance that the speaker will agree to go on a date with Philip.
1 possible: We always use an adverb to precede a verb in constructions like these. 'Possible' is an adjective, and cannot be used here.
2 maybe: 'Maybe' is the best choice here because it fits into the sentence's construction and correctly expresses the possibility that Philip isn't as much of a rogue as he is said to be.
2 might: 'Might' is almost always preceded by the subject of the sentence, for example 'I might be wrong' (interrogative constructions are an exception to this general tendency). We could not say 'I thought that might he'.
2 may be: 'May be' should be contracted to one single word in this case: 'maybe'. As two separate words, the phrase takes on a different meaning.
3 possibly: 'Possibly' correctly expresses the chance that Philip's actually has dated two women simultaneously.
3 maybe: We would not say 'couldn't maybe' because it is grammatically incorrect.
4 definitely: 'Definitely' is the best choice here because it expresses the certainty that speaker will not date Philip.
4 possibly: Although 'possibly' is grammatically correct, we can see from the context and the emphatic nature of the phrase, that we need a word which expresses certainty, and not possibility.
4 maybe: Although 'maybe' is grammatically correct, we can see from the context and the emphatic nature of the phrase, that we need a word which expresses certainty, and not possibility.
Exercise 2
Last week, I was thinking about going on a date with Philip. I thought that he wasn't such a bad guy after all. For example, I thought to myself, it couldn't be true that he sometimes dates two women at once. Then, I saw him kissing his colleague's wife! I am absolutely sure of it... I'm not going out with him!
Last week, I was thinking about possibly 1 going on a date with Philip. I thought that maybe 2 he wasn't such a bad guy after all. For example, I thought to myself, it couldn't possibly 3 be true that he sometimes dates two women at once. Then, I saw him kissing his colleague's wife! I am absolutely sure of it... I'm definitely 4 not going out with him!
1 possibly: 'Possibly' correctly expresses the chance that the speaker will agree to go on a date with Philip.
1 possible: We always use an adverb to precede a verb in constructions like these. 'Possible' is an adjective, and cannot be used here.
2 maybe: 'Maybe' is the best choice here because it fits into the sentence's construction and correctly expresses the possibility that Philip isn't as much of a rogue as he is said to be.
2 might: 'Might' is almost always preceded by the subject of the sentence, for example 'I might be wrong' (interrogative constructions are an exception to this general tendency). We could not say 'I thought that might he'.
2 may be: 'May be' should be contracted to one single word in this case: 'maybe'. As two separate words, the phrase takes on a different meaning.
3 possibly: 'Possibly' correctly expresses the chance that Philip's actually has dated two women simultaneously.
3 maybe: We would not say 'couldn't maybe' because it is grammatically incorrect.
4 definitely: 'Definitely' is the best choice here because it expresses the certainty that speaker will not date Philip.
4 possibly: Although 'possibly' is grammatically correct, we can see from the context and the emphatic nature of the phrase, that we need a word which expresses certainty, and not possibility.
4 maybe: Although 'maybe' is grammatically correct, we can see from the context and the emphatic nature of the phrase, that we need a word which expresses certainty, and not possibility.
Exercise 3
Freddie: Mr. Oléré?
Horatio: Yes, Freddie?
Freddie: I have the day off tomorrow? I want to go to a rave party with my friends.
Horatio: . I'll have to think about it. By the way, have you seen the pheromones I was using for my next perfumes?
Freddie: Uhhhhhh, no. I haven't seen them. I have to go now Mr. Oléré, I have several dates tonight.
Horatio: Okay, Freddie. Adios. Where could those chemicals have gone?
Freddie: Mr. Oléré?
Horatio: Yes, Freddie?
Freddie: Could 1 I have the day off tomorrow? I want to go to a rave party with my friends.
Horatio: Possibly 2. I'll have to think about it. By the way, have you seen the pheromones I was using for my next perfumes?
Freddie: Uhhhhhh, no. I haven't seen them. I have to go now Mr. Oléré, I have several dates tonight.
Horatio: Okay, Freddie. Adios. Where could those chemicals have possibly 3 gone?
1 Could: 'Could' is the best way to begin this question. 'Could I have...?' is a polite construction for a question.
1 Possibly: We could not use 'possibly' here to introduce a question.
1 Maybe: We must use a verb to introduce this question, so 'maybe' would not work. On the other hand, 'may I have the day off' would work well in this construction.
2 Possibly: 'Possibly' correctly expresses Horatio's indecision, and alone, the construction requires an adverb.
2 Possible: We should use an adverb in this case. The adjective 'possible' does not work here.
2 May: 'May' by itself does not make sense here. On the other hand, 'maybe' would be a good choice here, if it were offered.
3 possibly: 'Possibly' is the best choice here because it expresses Horatio's uncertainty about the location of the chemicals.
3 maybe: 'Maybe' does not fit here because this construction requires a a different adverb such as 'possibly'.

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