沪江

词汇大爆炸:“可能”的9种英语表达

口语里,我们经常用到“可能”的表达。likely应该是脱口而出的词汇了,那今天我们再多了解一些表示“可能”单词。多点可能,多点机会,多点回旋余地嘛。

1、probably
很可能;大概

英语释义:used to mean that something is very likely

probably是“多半”,其可能性超过一半。

一般指根据逻辑推理,估计有发生的可能,把握性较大,语气比possibly强。

I'll probably be home by midnight.
我很可能半夜到家。

I'm probably going - it depends on the weather.
我很可能会去——这要看天气怎么样。

2、maybe
或许,大概

英语释义:used to show that something is possible or that something might be true

maybe这个词比perhaps更口语化,美国英语多用。指某事也许如此,含不能确定意味。

maybe要用于句首,它和perhaps表示的可能性大致为一半。

Maybe they'll come tomorrow.
或许他们明天会来。

Maybe you were right after all.
或许还是你对。

3、perhaps
或许,可能

英语释义:used to show that something is possible or that you are not certain about something

多用于英式口语,与maybe同义。可用于句末、句中、句首。

He hasn't written to me recently - perhaps he's lost my address.
他最近没给我写信——也许他把我的地址弄丢了。

4、possibly
可能地

英语释义:used when something is not certain

possibly指客观上潜存着发生某种变化的可能,其可能性低于一半。

He may possibly decide not to come, in which case there's no problem.
他可能会决定不来,这样就没问题了。

【拓展】

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.
这些方法中有一些可能满足设计者的需要。

5、presumably
据推测,大概,可能

英语释义:used to say what you think is the likely situation

presume的意思是“假定,推定,认定”,多表示以过去经验作根据或者是合乎逻辑地推测。

一般是有充分的理由,虽然结论仍可能是错误的。可以得出,presume表示的可能性较高。

presumably是它的副词形式,表示“据推测,大体上说“。

Presumably the bad weather has delayed the flight.
大概恶劣的天气使飞机误点了。

The stars in each given cluster presumably were formed almost simultaneously.
大体上说,每个给定星团中的恒星差不多是同时形成的。

6、there is the possibility
有可能

There is the probability that we were wrong.
有可能是我们错了。

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。

这也是很常用的表达。chance除了表示“机会”,也有“可能性”(likelihood)的意思。

所以说,不可能的英语就是——Not a chance!

更夸张一点就是:not a chance in hell!(绝不可能!)

8、in all probability
很有可能,十之八九

英语释义:used to mean that something is very likely

She will, in all probability, have left before we arrive.
她十有八九会在我们到达之前就已经离开了。

【小知识】

十之八九还可以是:nine times out of ten/ninety-nine times out of a hundred

Nine times out of ten, you can fix it.
你十有八九能够修好它。

9、there is every probability that
极有可能

There is every probability that she is not coming.
她很有可能不来了。

 

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