Chinese word

不一定

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù yī dìng

Meaning

  • adverbmay not

Example

我不一定能去。wǒ bù yí dìng néng qù

I may not be able to go.

Illustration for 不一定 (may not)

More examples

明天不一定会下雨。míng tiān bù yí dìng huì xià yǔ

It may not rain tomorrow.

Core concept

Leaves room between yes and no about whether an event will happen or keep happening.

Common phrases

  • 不一定会bù yí dìng huì

    may not

  • 不一定能bù yí dìng néng

    may not be able to

  • 不一定知道bù yí dìng zhī dào

    may not know

Similar words

也许yé xǔ: Means perhaps, expressing a guess that something may happen.
可能kě néng: Means possibly, pointing to a chance that something will happen.

Definition in Chinese

用于说明对某事没有确定判断，表示有可能成立也有可能不成立的情况。yòng yú shuō míng duì mǒu shì méi yǒu què dìng pàn duàn biǎo shì yǒu kě néng chéng lì yě yǒu kě néng bù chéng lì de qíng kuàng

Word origin

不一定 (bùyīdìng, "not necessarily") joins 不 (bù, "not") to 一定 (yīdìng, "certain or fixed"), creating the idea that a result is not fixed in advance.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may hear a negative word as a complete no, but here the negative limits certainty rather than canceling the event.

Other meanings

  • not necessarilyadverb
  • not alwaysadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word