HSK 4
说不定
shuō bú dìng
Perhaps / Maybe
Explanation
说不定 (shuōbudìng) is used to express a guess or an UNCERTAIN possibility, meaning "perhaps", "maybe", "who knows".
说不定 is flexible in position — at the start of the sentence, or after the subject (the person/thing performing the action) + 说不定 + the guessed content, for example 他说不定不来 or 说不定他不来. It can also come at the end of a sentence meaning "it's still uncertain, can't be said yet": 现在还说不定 "it's still uncertain now".
when guessing at a situation that might happen but which the speaker is not sure of; it has a casual, informal tone.
说不定 (shuōbudìng) and 也许 (yěxǔ, perhaps) are close in meaning, but 说不定 is more colloquial and can also be used at the end of a sentence to mean "who knows"; 也许 only comes before the guessed part.
misunderstanding 说不定 as "cannot say / unclear" (a literal word-by-word translation); in fact it is a fixed phrase meaning "perhaps, who knows".
Examples
It's raining; perhaps he won't come today.
This matter was quite possibly done by him.
Whether I'll be able to go to China this year is still uncertain.
Practice
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Learn “说不定” effectively
The grammar point “说不定” (Perhaps / Maybe) is one of the key structures at HSK 4. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.
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