9 Ways to Say "Maybe" in Korean: 아마, 혹시, 글쎄요

Quick answer: The everyday way to say "maybe" in Korean is the ending -(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 ("I think / it seems"): 늦을 것 같아요 = "I might be late." For "probably," add 아마 (ama) in front of a guessing ending: 아마 늦을 거예요. And 혹시 (hoksi) is a completely different "maybe" — it means "by any chance" and is used mostly in questions (or in "just in case" phrases like 혹시 모르니까), usually near the beginning.

Here's the one idea to take away: in English, "maybe" is a single word you can drop anywhere in a sentence. In Korean, uncertainty lives in the verb ending, and words like 아마 or 어쩌면 are just signals that the ending is coming. That's why 아마 비가 와요 sounds broken to a Korean ear — the adverb promises a guess, then the verb delivers a flat fact. Learn the endings first, and the adverbs become easy.

Nine ways Koreans actually hedge, from the most common to the most specific.

1. -(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 — "I think / it seems / maybe"

오늘은 좀 늦을 것 같아요. — I think I'll be a little late today. 이거 매울 것 같아요. — This looks like it'll be spicy.

This is the workhorse. If you only learn one, learn this. Koreans use it constantly, even for things they're fairly sure about, because stating an opinion as pure fact can sound blunt. Softening your own opinion is the polite default — 맛있어요 is a verdict, 맛있을 것 같아요 is a guess you're inviting the other person to agree with.

2. 아마 — "probably"

내일은 아마 추울 거예요. — It'll probably be cold tomorrow. 그 사람 아마 지금 자고 있을 거예요. — He's probably asleep right now.

아마 means you'd bet on it — maybe 70–80% sure. It almost never stands alone: it needs -(으)ㄹ 거예요 or -(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 at the end of the sentence. Saying 아마 추워요 is the single most common mistake learners make here, and it lands like "probably it is cold" said with total confidence. If you're guessing about tomorrow's weather, 아마 + -(으)ㄹ 거예요 is the pattern you want.

3. 아마도 — "probably, I suppose"

아마도 그 사람도 몰랐을 거예요. — He probably didn't know either, I suppose.

아마도 is 아마 with a shrug attached. It's slightly more hesitant, a little more written or thoughtful, and you'll hear it when someone is working something out mid-sentence. In ordinary conversation 아마 is far more common; use 아마도 when you want that extra "...I think?" feeling.

4. -(으)ㄹ 수도 있어요 — "it might / it could"

차가 막혀서 조금 늦을 수도 있어요. — There's traffic, so I might be a bit late. 그건 사실이 아닐 수도 있어요. — That might not be true.

This is a lower probability than 아마 — you're naming a possibility, not predicting. It's the safest form for warnings and disclaimers, which is why you hear it so much at work and in service situations. Note the spacing: 늦을 수도 있어요, three chunks, never 늦을수도.

5. -(으)ㄹ지도 몰라요 — "who knows, it might"

비가 올지도 몰라요. 우산 챙기세요. — It might rain. Take an umbrella.

Literally "I don't even know whether it will," this one carries a touch of drama — the possibility is real and maybe a bit worrying. 늦을 수도 있어요 is neutral logistics; 늦을지도 몰라요 sounds like you'd better prepare for it. It's very common in writing and in speech when someone is giving advice.

6. 어쩌면 — "maybe, just possibly"

어쩌면 그 사람도 같은 생각일지도 몰라요. — Maybe he feels the same way.

어쩌면 is the emotional cousin of 아마. It introduces a possibility the speaker finds surprising, hopeful or a little sad, and it pairs naturally with -(으)ㄹ지도 몰라요. Don't use it for logistics — 어쩌면 버스가 늦을 거예요 sounds oddly poetic for a late bus.

7. 혹시 — "by any chance…?"

혹시 한국분이세요? — Are you Korean, by any chance? 혹시 충전기 있으세요? — Do you happen to have a charger?

This is not a probability word at all. 혹시 makes a question gentler — it tells the listener "no pressure, feel free to say no." Koreans open requests to strangers with it almost automatically, often together with a softening 좀: 혹시 이거 좀 도와주실 수 있어요? (Could you possibly help me with this?) It lives mainly in questions, but it also shows up in "just in case" expressions: 혹시 모르니까 우산 챙기세요 (Take an umbrella, just in case) or 혹시 시간 있으면 연락 주세요 (If you happen to have time, get in touch). What 혹시 never does is mean "probably" in a plain statement.

8. 글쎄요 — "hmm, I'm not sure"

A: 이 식당 맛있어요? — Is this restaurant good? B: 글쎄요, 저도 처음이에요. — Hmm, I'm not sure — it's my first time too.

글쎄요 is a whole answer by itself. It means "I don't have an opinion" or, very often, a soft no that avoids saying no. If you ask your boss 가능할까요? and get 글쎄요, read it as "probably not." The 반말 version is 글쎄. It belongs in the same family as the other polite non-answers in yes and no in Korean.

9. 그럴 수도 있죠 — "that could be"

A: 그 사람이 깜빡했나 봐요. — I guess he forgot. B: 네, 그럴 수도 있죠. — Yeah, that could be.

This is the reaction version — you're conceding that someone else's guess is reasonable. It's warm and non-confrontational, a good way to half-agree without committing. In 반말 it becomes 그럴 수도 있지, which is what you'd say to a friend who's being hard on someone.

How sure are you?

FAQ

How do you say "maybe" in Korean?

Most of the time you don't use a separate word — you change the verb ending to -(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 or -(으)ㄹ 수도 있어요. 갈 것 같아요 means "I think I'll go / maybe I'll go," and 갈 수도 있어요 means "I might go." If you want the adverb "probably" as well, put 아마 at the front and keep the guessing ending.

What is the difference between 아마 and 혹시?

아마 means "probably" and belongs in statements about what you expect: 아마 올 거예요 (He'll probably come). 혹시 means "by any chance" and shows up mostly in questions, where it makes the question softer and easier to refuse: 혹시 시간 있으세요? It also appears in "just in case" phrases like 혹시 모르니까. The two are not interchangeable, even though English translates both as "maybe."

Does 글쎄요 mean no?

Literally it means "well, I'm not sure," but in practice Koreans often use it to decline or disagree without saying so directly. If you ask whether something is possible and hear 글쎄요 followed by a pause, treat it as a soft no and offer another option. Said with a genuinely thoughtful tone, though, it really can just mean "I haven't decided."

Practice

1. Say "It'll probably be cold tomorrow" in Korean, using 아마.
2. Ask a stranger politely: "Do you have a charger, by any chance?"
3. Say "I might be a little late" (possibility, not prediction).
4. Fix this sentence: 아마 비가 와요.
5. Someone asks 이 식당 맛있어요? Give a "hmm, I'm not sure" answer.