How To Say Might or May in Spanish

How To Say Might or May in Spanish Translating the English auxiliary verbs might and may to Spanish cant be done directly because Spanish doesnt have auxiliary verbs with those meanings. Instead, expressing those concepts in Spanish requires translating for meaning, and both of those auxiliary verbs, whose meanings overlap, have multiple meanings. In other words, you cant take a simple sentence such as I might leave and stick a word between yo (the pronoun for I) and salir (the verb for leave) to say what you want. In this case, you need to figure out that the sentence means something like Maybe I will leave and then translate that. When ‘May’ or ‘Might’ Suggests Possibility Often, maybe and might can be used more or less interchangeably to suggest that maybe something will happen. In these cases you can provide the meaning of maybe using words such as quizs (sometimes quiz), posiblemente, acaso, or talvez (sometimes tal vez); or phrases such as puede ser que, es posible que, or a lo mejor. The words and phrases are sometimes used with a verb in the subjunctive mood. Tal vez (yo) lea un libro. (I might read a book. I may read a book.)Posiblemente vamos a necesitar hogares temporales. (We may need temporary homes. We might need temporary homes.)Hoy posiblemente vaya a comprar mi celular. (Today I might buy my cellphone. Today I may buy my cellphone.)Acaso nieve en la segunda mitad del mes. (It might rain in the second half of the month. It may rain in the second half of the month.)Tal vez la luz sea un poco ms intensa. (The light might be a little more intense. The light may be a little more intense.)A lo mejor, resulta bien. (It may turn out fine. It might turn out fine.)Creo que es posible que Considerando lo anterior podrà ­amos concluir que la justicia es imposible. (Considering what just happened, we might as well conclude that justice is impossible.)en 10 aà ±os haya humanos en Marte. (I believe that in 10 years there may be humans on Mars. I believe that in 10 years there might be humans on Mars.)Es posible que lo leyera. (She may have re ad it. She might have read it.) Tal vez sea verdad. (It may be true. It might be true.)Es posible que se haya perdido.  (He might have got lost.) When ‘May’ Is Used for Asking Permission May (and, less commonly, might) is sometimes used to ask for approval or permission. Common ways of asking for permission are to use poder or permitir, although other ways are possible. Podrà ­a asistir a la escuela? Puedo asistir a la escuela? (May I attend the school?) ¿Me permites ver a tus padres hoy? (May I see your parents today?) ¿Podrà ­a beber una cerveza?  ¿Puedo beber una cerveza? (May I drink a beer?)Se prohibe fumar aquà ­. (You may not smoke here.)Pidià ³ permiso para comer. (He asked if he might eat.) You can translate might similarly when it is being used to offer a suggestion: Podrà ­as tomar una pastilla de dormir. (You might take a sleeping pill.Podrà ­as pensar en una mejor opcià ³n. (You might think of a better option.)Podrà ­amos caminar a la playa. (We might walk to the beach. Note that the English sentence standing alone is ambiguous. If the person is using might to suggest possibility, a different translation would be used.) Translating ‘May’ in Wishes Sentences beginning with may to express desires or wishes can be translated by starting a sentence with que and using the subjunctive mood.  ¡Que Dios te bendiga! (May God bless you!) Que todo el mundo vaya a votar. (May everyone go to vote.) Que encuentres felicidad en todo lo que hagas. (May you find happiness in everything you do.) Translating ‘Might As Well’ Theres no single translation that always works for might as well or the less common may as well. Check the context to see what nuance of meaning might work best. Me convendrà ­a estudiar. (I might as well study. Literally, it would suit me fine to study.)Serà ­a mejor si vinieras conmigo. (You might as well come with me. Literally, it would be better if you came with me.)Considerando lo anterior podrà ­amos concluir que la justicia es imposible. (Considering what just happened, we might as well conclude that justice is impossible. Literally, considering the previous, we could conclude that justice is impossible.) Key Takeaways Spanish does not have any auxiliary verbs that are the equivalent of may or might.When may or might suggest possibility, you can translate using words or phrases that mean maybe.Verbs of permission can be used for translating may or might when they are being used for seeking approval.