сигурно/вероятно/може би
Expressing Probability
Add a word to show how sure you are: сигурно and вероятно (probably), може би (maybe). Сигурно е вкъщи. (He is probably at home.)
How It Works
1. How sure?
- може би: maybe, perhaps
- вероятно: probably
- сигурно: probably, surely, must (a confident guess)
- със сигурност: definitely, for sure
2. Where they go. Put them at the start of the sentence or before the verb: Сигурно е уморен, Той сигурно е уморен (He must be tired). They also work as short answers: — Ще дойдеш ли? — Може би.
3. Guessing about the past. With the perfect, сигурно means must have: Той сигурно е забравил (He must have forgotten). This is one way Bulgarian shows a conclusion; compare трябва да е + past participle and conclusive forms.
4. Може би or може да? Може би is an adverb, so for a simple guess it goes with an ordinary verb: Може би ще дойда. In speech, може би да + verb makes a soft suggestion: Може би да попитаме някого? (Maybe we should ask someone?) Може да is a verb phrase: Може да дойда (I may come). Both express possibility. Може би is always written as two words.
5. Сигурен, сигурна, сигурно. The same word is also an adjective: Сигурна ли си? (Are you sure?), сигурно място (a safe place). In informal speech май is another common way to say probably, it seems.
Examples (6)
- Сигурно е вкъщи.
He is probably at home.
- Вероятно ще закъснеем с десет минути.
We will probably be ten minutes late.
- Може би ще дойда и аз.
Maybe I will come too.
- Сигурно си уморен след пътя.
You must be tired after the trip.
- Той сигурно е забравил.
He must have forgotten.
Сигурно + the perfect: a guess about what happened.
- — Ще дойдеш ли? — Може би.
"Will you come?" "Maybe."
Common Mistakes
Writing може би as one word.
Можеби ще вали.Може би ще вали.Може би is always written as two separate words.
Using сигурно to promise something.
Сигурно ще дойда, обещавам!Със сигурност ще дойда, обещавам!Сигурно ще дойда means I will probably come, which does not fit a promise. For certainty, use със сигурност.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Expressing probability builds on може да.
Related Patterns
- майApparently with Май
The informal word for probably or it seems.
Level 4 - трябва да е + -л ParticipleDeductions with Трябва Да Е
A stronger way to state a conclusion about the past.
Level 4 - Conclusive Forms
Verb forms that express conclusions.
Level 5 - едва лиHardly Likely
The opposite: hardly likely.
Level 5 - струва ми сеIt Seems to Me
Another way to soften a statement: it seems to me.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice сигурно/вероятно/може би in Bubblegum
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