German Possibility & Probability Vocabulary
This set covers the German vocabulary of maybe, probably, and possibly, the words you reach for when you're not committing to a yes or no. It centers on the möglich family (möglich, unmöglich, möglicherweise, die Möglichkeit) alongside wahrscheinlich and its noun die Wahrscheinlichkeit. Watch out for eventuell: it looks like 'eventually' but actually means 'possibly,' a false friend that trips up almost every English speaker at least once.
Learn these 18 words
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All 18 words
- möglichA1
possible
Mit dieser Fahrkarte ist die Fahrt ab 9 Uhr möglich. — With this ticket, the journey is possible from 9 o'clock.
impossible
Das ist völlig unmöglich für mich. — That's completely impossible for me.
perhaps, maybe
Ich komme vielleicht mit dem Bus. — Perhaps I'll come by bus.
surely
Er kommt sicherlich noch heute Abend. — He will surely come this evening.
probably, likely
Wahrscheinlich mache ich im Herbst einen Deutschkurs. — I'll probably do a German course in the autumn.
plural: die Chancen
chance; opportunity
Mein Mann hat gute Chancen, die Stelle zu bekommen. — My husband has good chances of getting the job.
- denkbarB1
conceivable
Eine Lösung ist durchaus denkbar. — A solution is quite conceivable.
possibly, perhaps
Ich komme eventuell etwas später. — I might come a bit later.
possibly
Möglicherweise kommt er heute später. — He might come later today.
plural: die Möglichkeiten
possibility
Sie wollen ans Meer? Da gibt es mehrere Möglichkeiten. — You want to go to the sea? There are several possibilities.
unlikely
Regen ist heute ziemlich unwahrscheinlich. — Rain is quite unlikely today.
- vermutenB1
to suspect, assume
Ich vermute, er kommt später an. — I suspect he will arrive later.
presumably
Vermutlich regnet es morgen wieder. — It will probably rain again tomorrow.
plural: die Zufälle
chance, coincidence
So ein Zufall, dass ich dich hier treffe. — What a coincidence that I meet you here.
- zufälligB1
accidental, by chance
Wir haben uns zufällig am Bahnhof getroffen. — We met by chance at the station.
plural: die Zwecke
purpose, goal
Ich glaube, es hat keinen Zweck, sich zu bewerben. Der Job ist sicher schon weg. — I think there's no point in applying. The job is surely already gone.
plural: die Wahrscheinlichkeiten
a probability / likelihood
Die Wahrscheinlichkeit für Regen morgen beträgt achtzig Prozent. — The probability of rain tomorrow is eighty percent.
possibly
Womöglich kommt er morgen zur Versammlung. — He might possibly come to the meeting tomorrow.
How to learn this set
Notice how much of this set is built from just two roots: möglich gives you möglich, unmöglich, möglicherweise, die Möglichkeit, and womöglich, while wahrscheinlich gives you wahrscheinlich, unwahrscheinlich, and die Wahrscheinlichkeit. Learn the root meaning once (möglich = able to happen, wahr + scheinlich = appearing true) and the un- prefix and noun endings fall into place on their own. Drill vermuten and vermutlich together since they share a root but split into a verb and an adverb, unlike the möglich family where adjective and adverb are identical. For gender, both nouns die Möglichkeit and die Wahrscheinlichkeit end in -keit, which is always feminine, so you get two genders for free just by recognizing the suffix; der Zufall and der Zweck you'll have to memorize as masculine on their own.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between vielleicht and möglicherweise?
Vielleicht is the everyday word for 'maybe' and works in almost any casual sentence. Möglicherweise and eventuell sound more formal or careful, like something you'd read in a report or hear in a news broadcast, though all three are interchangeable in most contexts.
Does eventuell mean 'eventually' in German?
No, this is a false friend. Eventuell means 'possibly' or 'perhaps,' not 'eventually' or 'in the end.' If you want 'eventually,' use schließlich or letztendlich instead.
What is the difference between der Zufall and die Chance?
Der Zufall is a coincidence or accident, something that happens without anyone planning it, as in 'durch Zufall' (by chance). Die Chance is an opportunity, a favorable possibility you could act on, closer to the English 'chance' in 'give me a chance.'
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