мүмкін
mümkin/mʏmkɪn/
Maybe in Kazakh is expressed as мүмкін (mümkin). Wiktionary also lists ықтимал (ıqtıymal) and бәлки (bälkiy).
Meaning: indicating a lack of certainty (adv)
Ways to say it
| Kazakh | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| мүмкін | mümkin | /mʏmkɪn/ |
| ықтимал | ıqtıymal | |
| бәлки | bälkiy | |
| бәлкім | bälkim | |
| шығар | šığar |
Which one should you use?
While мүмкін is an independent adverb, the form шығар acts as a suffix that is added to verbs to express a possibility or a guess. Additionally, ықтимал carries the specific sense of 'probable' or 'likely', whereas бәлкім is a slightly more literary or formal version of maybe than the common мүмкін.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of мүмкін is /mʏmkɪn/.
Did you know?
- The word ықтимал is borrowed from the Persian 'ihtimal', which itself originates from an Arabic root meaning 'to carry' or 'to bear'.
- The word мүмкін is not just an adverb but is also used in Kazakh to mean 'possible' in an adjective sense.
Examples in context
- Мүмкін, ертең жаңбыр жауады.Mumkin, erteñ jañbyr jauady.Maybe it will rain tomorrow.
- Мүмкін, біз жолдан адасқан шығармыз.Mumkin, biz joldan adasqan shyğarmyz.Maybe we are lost.
Example conversation
Dinara and Azamat are talking about the weather.
- Динара DinaraБүгін жаңбыр жауа ма?Búgin jańbyr jaua ma?Will it rain today?
- Азамат AzamatМүмкін, аспан қараңғы.Mümkin, aspan qarańgy.Maybe, the sky is dark.
- Динара DinaraШатыр алып кетейік пе?Shatyr alyp keteyik pe?Should we take an umbrella?
- Азамат AzamatИә, солай жасағанымыз дұрыс.Iä, solay jasagha-nymyz durys.Yes, it is better to do so.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “maybe” translations and entries мүмкін, ықтимал, бәлки, бәлкім, шығар, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries бәлки, бәлкім, мүмкін, ықтимал, CC BY-SA 4.0.
