–auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person may, 2nd may or (Archaic) may·est or mayst, 3rd may; present plural may; past might.
1.
(used to express possibility): It may rain.
2.
(used to express opportunity or permission): You may enter.
3.
(used to express contingency, esp. in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.): I may be wrong but I think you would be wise to go. Times may change but human nature stays the same.
4.
(used to express wish or prayer): May you live to an old age.
Used to indicate a condition or state contrary to fact: She might help if she knew the truth.
Used to indicate a possibility or probability that is weaker than may:We might discover a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Used to express possibility or probability or permission in the past: She told him yesterday he might not go on the trip.
Used to express a higher degree of deference or politeness than may, ought, or should:Might I express my opinion?
[Middle English, from Old English meahte, mihte, first and third person sing. past tense of magan, to be able; see may1.]
Our Living Language: In many Southern U.S. varieties of English, might can be paired with other auxiliary verbs such as could, as in We might could park over there. Words like might and could are known as modals, since they express certain "moods" (for example, I might go indicates an uncertain mood on the part of the speaker). Combinations such as might could, might would, and might can are known as double modals. Other less common combinations include may can, may will, and might should. Since double modals typically begin with may or might, they lessen the degree of conviction or certainty (much like the word possibly) more than a single modal does. Double modals are used, for example, to minimize the force of what one is saying, as when asking someone for a favor or when indicating displeasure. · Although double modals may sound odd outside of the South, they carry little if any social stigma within the South and are used by speakers of all social classes and educational levels—even in formal instances like political addresses. Like many features of Southern varieties of English, the use of double modals is probably due to the fact that many of the first English speakers in the South were Scotch-Irish, whose speech made use of double modals. This feature has been noted as far back as the Middle English period, but today's most common forms were not used to any great extent until the mid-18th century. They are surprisingly rare in dialect fiction but do occasionally occur, as in Old Yeller by Fred Gipson: "Jumper's liable to throw a fit with that hide rattling along behind him, and you might not can hold him by yourself."
O.E. mihte, meahte, originally the past tense of may (O.E. magen "to be able"), thus "*may-ed." See may (v.). The first record of might-have-been is from 1848.
O.E. miht, earlier mæht, from P.Gmc. *makhtuz (cf. O.N. mattr, O.Fris., M.Du. macht, Ger. Macht, Goth. mahts), from PIE base *mag- "be able, have power" (see may (v.)). Mighty (adj.) is from O.E. mihtig, earlier mæhtig, from miht. As an adverb, it is attested from c.1300, though now considered colloquial.
— past tense of may Example: I thought I might find you here; He might come if you offered him a meal.
Arabic:
رُبَّما
Chinese (Simplified):
may的过去式
Chinese (Traditional):
may的過去式
Czech:
snad, možná
Danish:
kunne; ville måske
Dutch:
zou kunnen
Estonian:
võima
Finnish:
saattaa
French:
se pouvoir que
German:
pt. of may:können
Greek:
ίσως (να)
Icelandic:
gæti; mætti
Indonesian:
mungkin
Japanese:
mayの過去形
Latvian:
varētu
Lithuanian:
galëti
Norwegian:
kunne, ville
Polish:
móc
Portuguese (Brazil):
seria possível que
Portuguese (Portugal):
ser capaz de
Romanian:
a (se) putea să
Russian:
возможно
Slovak:
možno
Slovenian:
utegniti
Spanish:
poder, ser posible que
Swedish:
skulle, skulle kanske
Turkish:
…-ebilir(di)
might2[mait]
used instead of `may', eg to make a possibility seem less likely, or a request for permission more polite Example: He might win if he tries hard; Might I speak to you for a few minutes, please?
Arabic:
ربَّما
Chinese (Simplified):
可能
Chinese (Traditional):
可能
Czech:
mohl(a) by(ch)
Danish:
kunne; kunne måske
Dutch:
zou kunnen
Estonian:
võiks äkki
Finnish:
saattaisi, saada
French:
se pouvoir que; permettez que…
German:
können
Greek:
θα μπορούσα (για ευγενική παράκληση)
Icelandic:
gæti
Indonesian:
mungkin
Japanese:
～かもしれない
Latvian:
iespējams, ka; (lūgumos) vai drīkstu…?
Lithuanian:
galëti
Norwegian:
kunne
Polish:
móc
Portuguese (Brazil):
poder
Portuguese (Portugal):
poder
Romanian:
a (se) putea să
Russian:
может быть, пожалуй; можно
Slovak:
mohol by
Slovenian:
moči
Spanish:
poder
Swedish:
skulle kanske, skulle kunna
Turkish:
…-ebilir
might3[mait]
used in suggesting that a person is not doing what he should Example: You might help me clean the car!
Arabic:
ربَّما: تُسْتَعْمَل للأيحاء ان الشَّخْص لا يَعْمَل الم
Chinese (Simplified):
会
Chinese (Traditional):
會
Czech:
moci aspoň
Danish:
kunne godt; burde
Dutch:
zou kunnen
Estonian:
võiks
Finnish:
voida
French:
pouvoir au moins
German:
können
Greek:
θα μπορούσα… (για να δηλώσει πράξη που έπρεπε να γίνετ
Icelandic:
gæti (áminning eða skipun)
Indonesian:
bisa
Japanese:
～してくれてもよいのに
Latvian:
varētu
Lithuanian:
galëtum, galëtø
Norwegian:
kunne, burde
Polish:
mógłbym, mógłbyś itd.
Portuguese (Brazil):
bem poderia
Portuguese (Portugal):
podia
Romanian:
a putea cel puţin
Russian:
мог бы
Slovak:
mohol by aspoň
Slovenian:
lahko bi vsaj…
Spanish:
podrías, *podría
Swedish:
skulle gott kunna
Turkish:
(belki de) …-ebilir(sin)
might[mait]noun
power or strength Example: The might of the opposing army was too great for us.
May\, v. [imp. Might] [AS. pres. m[ae]g I am able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D. mogen, G. m["o]gen, OHG. mugan, magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan, Russ. moche. ?. Cf. Dismay, Main strength, Might. The old imp. mought is obsolete, except as a provincial word.] An auxiliary verb qualifyng the meaning of another verb, by expressing: (a) Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener expressed by can. How may a man, said he, with idle speech, Be won to spoil the castle of his health ! --Spenser. For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what he may do as just, and what he may do as possible. --Bacon. For of all sad words of tongue or pen The saddest are these: "It might have been." --Whittier. (b) Liberty; permission; allowance. Thou mayst be no longer steward. --Luke xvi. 2. (c) Contingency or liability; possibility or probability. Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. --Pope. (d) Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a question or remark. How old may Phillis be, you ask. --Prior. (e) Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction, and the like. "May you live happily." --Dryden. May be, & It may be, are used as equivalent to possibly, perhaps, by chance, peradventure. See 1st Maybe.
May\, v. [imp. Might] [AS. pres. m[ae]g I am able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D. mogen, G. m["o]gen, OHG. mugan, magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan, Russ. moche. ?. Cf. Dismay, Main strength, Might. The old imp. mought is obsolete, except as a provincial word.] An auxiliary verb qualifyng the meaning of another verb, by expressing: (a) Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener expressed by can. How may a man, said he, with idle speech, Be won to spoil the castle of his health ! --Spenser. For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what he may do as just, and what he may do as possible. --Bacon. For of all sad words of tongue or pen The saddest are these: "It might have been." --Whittier. (b) Liberty; permission; allowance. Thou mayst be no longer steward. --Luke xvi. 2. (c) Contingency or liability; possibility or probability. Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. --Pope. (d) Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a question or remark. How old may Phillis be, you ask. --Prior. (e) Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction, and the like. "May you live happily." --Dryden. May be, & It may be, are used as equivalent to possibly, perhaps, by chance, peradventure. See 1st Maybe.
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