Chinese word

没准儿

Pronunciation

Pinyinméi zhǔnr

Meaning

  • adverbmaybe

Example

没准儿今天会下雨。méi zhǔnr jīn tiān huì xià yǔ

Maybe it will rain today.

Illustration for 没准儿 (maybe)

More examples

他说没问题，没准儿最后还是会出问题。tā shuō méi wèn tí méi zhǔnr zuì hòu hái shì huì chū wèn tí

He said there was no problem, but maybe it will still become a problem in the end.

Core concept

A speaker keeps the outcome outside the circle of certainty while treating it as a real possibility.

Common phrases

  • 没准儿连他自己都不知道méi zhǔnr lián tā zì jǐ dōu bù zhī dào

    maybe even he himself doesn't know

  • 没准儿会错过机会méi zhǔnr huì cuò guò jī huì

    maybe miss the opportunity

  • 没准儿还有希望méi zhǔnr hái yǒu xī wàng

    maybe there is still hope

Similar words

可能kě néng: Possibly presents an event as having a real chance of happening.
也许yé xǔ: Perhaps gently suggests an uncertain possibility without much support.
说不定shuō bú dìng: Maybe points to an uncertain possibility while leaving the result open.

Definition in Chinese

口语常用的副词，表示对某事发生的猜测，语气随意且带有口语色彩。kóu yǔ cháng yòng de fù cí biǎo shì duì mǒu shì fā shēng de cāi cè yǔ qì suí yì qiě dài yǒu kóu yǔ sè cǎi

Word origin

没 (méi, "not") and 准 (zhǔn, "sure") form the uncertain idea, and 儿 (ér, "rhotic suffix") gives the expression its familiar northern conversational sound.

Usage tips

  • This adverb fits spontaneous predictions about events, so it sounds more natural in casual talk than in a formal report.

Opposites

Related words

  • 没准méi zhǔnmaybeadverb

Word lists with this word