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Level Everyday Chinese · HSK 2

How Sure: 可能, 也许, 一定, 会, 以为 and 感觉

At A1 you could only say what is. A2 adds the shades in between: maybe, probably, surely, I thought (wrongly), I feel. These words go before the verb, and several of them combine with each other in a fixed order.

Maybe and surely: 可能, 也许, 一定

可能 (kěnéng) and 也许 (yěxǔ) both mean maybe, probably. 一定 (yídìng) means surely, definitely, and as an instruction "be sure to". 不一定 means "not necessarily". 不可能 means "impossible".

With 会 or 不, the order is: 可能 / 一定 first, then 会 / 不: 他可能不来, 明天一定会下雨.

  • 他可能不来了。

    Tā kěnéng bù lái le.

    He probably isn't coming.

  • 也许他忘了。

    Yěxǔ tā wàng le.

    Maybe he forgot.

  • 你一定要来！

    Nǐ yídìng yào lái!

    You must come!

  • 贵的不一定好。

    Guì de bù yídìng hǎo.

    Expensive things aren't necessarily good.

会 for the likely future

会 + verb predicts what will (probably) happen. 会…的 makes it a reassurance: 他会来的 (he will come, don't worry). 不会吧 is "no way!".

  • 明天会下雨。

    Míngtiān huì xià yǔ.

    It'll rain tomorrow.

  • 别担心，他会来的。

    Bié dānxīn, tā huì lái de.

    Don't worry, he'll come.

以为 vs 认为: I thought (wrongly)

以为 (yǐwéi) is a belief that turned out to be wrong: 我以为你走了 means "I thought you'd left (but you hadn't)". 认为 (rènwéi) is a considered opinion. 原来 often follows to reveal the truth.

  • 我以为你走了。

    Wǒ yǐwéi nǐ zǒu le.

    I thought you'd gone.

  • 我以为他是中国人，原来他是日本人。

    Wǒ yǐwéi tā shì Zhōngguó rén, yuánlái tā shì Rìběn rén.

    I thought he was Chinese, but it turns out he's Japanese.

Feelings and facts: 感觉, 感到, 实在, 其实

觉得 is "think" (an opinion). 感觉 (gǎnjué) is "feel" (a sensation or impression) and also "a feeling" as a noun. 感到 + feeling is a slightly written "feel": 感到高兴. 实在 (shízài) means "really, honestly" for emphasis; 实际上 means "in fact"; 真正 + noun means "real, genuine".

  • 我感觉有点儿冷。

    Wǒ gǎnjué yǒudiǎnr lěng.

    I feel a bit cold.

  • 我实在太累了。

    Wǒ shízài tài lèi le.

    I'm honestly exhausted.

  • 他是我真正的朋友。

    Tā shì wǒ zhēnzhèng de péngyou.

    He's a real friend.

Common mistakes

  • ✗他会可能来。

    ✓他可能会来。

    Tā kěnéng huì lái.

    可能 comes before 会.

  • ✗我以为中文很有意思。 (meaning your genuine opinion)

    ✓我认为中文很有意思。 / 我觉得中文很有意思。

    Wǒ rènwéi Zhōngwén hěn yǒu yìsi. / Wǒ juéde Zhōngwén hěn yǒu yìsi.

    以为 implies you were wrong. For an opinion you still hold, use 觉得 or 认为.

Questions learners ask

Is 一定 the same in 一定要来 and 不一定?

Same word. 一定要 is "must, be sure to"; 不一定 is "not necessarily". Don't use 不一定 to mean "definitely not": that's 一定不.

Can 会 mean both "can" and "will"?

Yes. 我会游泳 is a skill (can); 明天会下雨 is a prediction (will). Context makes it clear.

Practice this in lessons

The Everyday Chinese lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

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