48
Expressing possibility
and probability
The concepts of possibility and probability are expressed in Spanish in a number of
ways, ranging from set words and phrases to more complex constructions. In the notes
below you will find references to the first part of the book which will help you revise the
forms associated with this language usage.18.1.6 (p. 86); 18.3.3 (p. 92); 19.2 (p. 95); 16.1.1.3 (p. 61)
48.1 Saying whether something is considered possible or
impossible
To say whether something is considered possible or impossible, as in ‘It is (not)
possible’, ‘It is possible that he may leave’, ‘Perhaps he may leave’, etc., Spanish, like
English, uses a number of expressions, of which the most common are:48.1.1 Set phrases
es posible‘it is possible’
es probable‘probably’
es imposible‘it is impossible’
no es posible‘it is not possible’
posiblemente‘possibly’, ‘maybe’
probablemente‘probably’
es (muy) poco probable‘it is (very) unlikely’
puede ser‘maybe’
quizá(s)‘perhaps’
tal vez‘perhaps’
a lo mejor‘perhaps’These expressions are normally used in the spoken language as a response to a question
or a statement. In the expression of impossibility, es imposible is much more frequent
than no es posible, and it conveys a stronger notion of impossibility. The rest of the
expressions are all equally frequent.¿Crees que vendrá mañana? – Es posible/probable.
Do you think he/she will come tomorrow? –
It is possible./Maybe./Probably.