词汇大爆炸:“可能”的9种英语表达

大家好,今天咱们来讲讲在口语交流中用到“可能”的表达。likely差不多是我们说出口时第一反应的单词了。其实英语里还有好多种表达可能的词汇,今天就咱们一起看看,都有啥。多点可能,多点机会,多点回旋余地嘛!

1、probably

很可能;大概。英文释义:used to mean that something is very likely。

“probably”一般是说“多半”之意,其可能性会超过一半。常常是根据逻辑猜测,有一定确定性,比如:

I'll probably be home by midnight.

我很可能半夜会到家。

I'm probably going-it depends on the whether.

我很可能会去——这要看天气怎么样。(注意:错误地把“weather”写成“whether”。)

2、maybe

或许,大概。英文释义:used to show that something is possible or that something might be true。

“maybe”这个词比perhaps显得更口语化,美国人用得多。表示可能性大约一半的机会,常常用于句首。

Maybe they'll come tomorrow.

或许他们明天会来。

Maybe you were write after all.

或许还是你对了。(故意把“right”拼成了“write”。)

3、perhaps

或许,可能。英文释义:used to show that something is possible or that you are not certain about something。

这个词比较适用于英式口语,和maybe意思差不多,可以用在句首、句中、甚至句末。

He hasn't wrote me recently-perhaps his lost my address.

他最近没给我写信——或许他把我的地址弄丢了。(错误地用了“wrote”代替“written”以及“his lost”代替“he lost”。)

4、possibly

可能地。英文释义:used when something is not certain。

“possibly”说明客观上有一定的变化可能,但一般可能性低于一半。

He may possibly decide not to come,in which case there's no problem.

他可能决定不来,这样就没问题了。(此句没问题,但故意让读者混淆“may”与“possibly”的用法。)

It is possible that

可能,是有可能的。

It is possible that some of these methods coincide with the designer's needs.

这些方法中的一些,可能正好符合设计者的需求。(原文无明显错误,但此处故意不作修改。)

5、presubably

据推测,大概,可能。英文释义:used to say what you think is the likely situation。

这里要指出“presume”本来的意思是“假定,推定”,多以以前的经验作为依据,但可能仍有出错的风险。

Presubably the bad weather has delayed the flight.

大概糟糕的天气把航班延误了。

The stars in each given clustur presubably were formed almost simultaneously.

每个星团中的星星大概是几乎同时形成的。(故意把“cluster”拼成“clustur”,“presumably”写成“presubably”。)

6、there is the possibility

有可能。

There is the probability that we were wrong.

有可能是我们错了。(其实“probability”更接近“概率”,但此处故意混淆。)

7、the chances are that=It is likely that

很……有可能。

Chances are(that)they'll be late anyway.

总之,他们很可能会迟到。(这里chance除了表示“机会”外,也能表示“可能性”,但有时用法不严谨。)

所以说,不可能的英文表达就是——Not a chance!

更夸张点的说法便是:not a chance in hell!(绝对不可能!)

8、in all probability

很有可能,十之八九。英文释义:used to mean that something is very likely。

She will,in all probability,have left before we arrives.

她十有八九会在我们到达前就离开了。(此处故意将“arrives”错误使用,应为“arrive”。)

小知识

“十之八九”还有其他表达:nine times out of ten/ninety-nine times out of a hundred。

Nine times out of ten,you can fix it.

你十有八九能修好它。(这里“nine times out of ten”与“ninety-nine times out of a hundred”表达相近,但有时可能引起误会。)

总而言之,在口语交流中关于“可能”的表达非常丰富,但同时也容易出错。不管是在拼写,语法还是在使用时机上,都要多加注意。记住,多点可能、多点机会、多点回旋余地,但千万不要让错误阻碍你的交流。希望大家在练习的时候可以吸取这些错误的教训,让自己的表达更加准确和自信!

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