(shuō bú dìng) - maybe, perhaps, it may well be that in Mandarin
shuōbúdìngTraditional: 說不定
Translation
maybe, perhaps, it may well be that
Word origin
Built from 说 (shuō, to say), 不 (bù, not) and 定 (dìng, fixed, certain), literally cannot be said for sure.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 说 (shuō, say) + 不 (bù, not) + 定 (dìng, fixed)
Stroke order
说
不
定
Examples
。
Maybe he has already left.
，。
Go and ask, it might help.
。
Perhaps it will be better by tomorrow.
。
This may well have something to do with him.
。
We might have met before.
说不定 (shuō bú dìng) is the colloquial maybe, and it carries a hopeful tilt that 也许 does not. It suggests a possibility worth acting on: 你去问问，说不定有用 means it might just work, so give it a go.
Position is flexible. It can open the sentence, or sit after the subject: 说不定他已经走了 and 他说不定已经走了 are both fine and mean the same thing.
Note the tone sandhi baked into the pinyin: 不 is fourth tone on its own, but in front of another fourth tone it shifts to second, so this is shuō bú dìng, not shuō bù dìng. The written character never changes. Compare 说不定 with 一定, which is the opposite: definitely, for certain.
Where this fits
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说不定: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "说不定" (maybe, perhaps, it may well be that): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 42.