Possibilidade em Inglês: May e Might
possibilidades e probabilidades sem ter 100% de certeza.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'may' and 'might' to talk about things that are possible but not certain in the present or future.
- Use 'may' for a 50% chance of something happening: 'It may rain.'
- Use 'might' for a lower chance (30%) or more doubt: 'I might win.'
- Never add 's', 'ed', or 'ing' to these verbs; they never change.
- Always use the base verb after them without 'to': 'She might come' (not 'to come').
Overview
This might die before I get home? Ou verificou uma aplicação meteorológica e viu que
may rain mais tarde? Está a usar a linguagem da possibilidade.may e might quando não temos 100% de certeza de algo. São as palavras talvez do mundo dos verbos. Ajudam-no a falar sobre os seus planos, o tempo ou até porque é que o seu amigo ainda não respondeu à sua DM no TikTok.talvez.How This Grammar Works
may e no might como primos. Fazem quase o mesmo trabalho. Dizem ao ouvinte que a probabilidade de algo acontecer é de cerca de 50/50 ou menos.I may go to the partyou
I might go to the party, os seus amigos compreenderão a mesma coisa: ainda está a decidir.
Formation Pattern
may e might é como construir um conjunto de Lego com apenas três peças.
I, Sarah, The cat).
may ou might.
to).
When To Use It
- Cenário 1: Enviar mensagens a amigos. Está num café e o seu amigo pergunta onde está.
I might be 5 minutes late, the bus is slow.
- Cenário 2: Escolhas da Netflix. Está a ver uma série nova. "This show might be boring, let's watch something else."
Common Mistakes
- 1Adicionar
to: As pessoas dizem frequentementeI might to go
. NÃO! É apenasI might go. - 2Adicionar «-s» para He/She: As pessoas dizem
He mays come. Incorreto! É sempremayoumight.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
- Will vs. Might:
I will go= 100% de certeza.I might go= 40% de certeza. - Can vs. May: Na escola, os professores dizem que
May I go to the bathroom?
é para permissão, enquantoCan I go?é para capacidade.
Quick FAQ
Existe uma grande diferença entre may e might?
Em 2026? Na verdade, não. Use might para a maioria das coisas e ficará bem.
2. Negative Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
|
may not
|
n/a
|
Almost never contracted.
|
|
might not
|
mightn't
|
Rare, mostly used in British English.
|
Modal Verb Conjugation (No Change)
| Subject | Modal | Base Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I
|
may / might
|
go
|
I might go.
|
|
You
|
may / might
|
go
|
You might go.
|
|
He/She/It
|
may / might
|
go
|
She might go.
|
|
We
|
may / might
|
go
|
We might go.
|
|
They
|
may / might
|
go
|
They might go.
|
Meanings
Modal verbs used to express that an event or state is possible, though not guaranteed, or to request permission in formal settings.
Possibility
To say that something is possible now or in the future.
“It may be true.”
“They might arrive late.”
Formal Permission
To ask for or give permission in a very polite or official way.
“May I use your phone?”
“You may begin the exam now.”
Past Speculation
Using 'have + past participle' to guess about what happened in the past.
“She might have forgotten.”
“He may have missed the bus.”
Reference Table
| Uso | May | Might | Nível de Probabilidade |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Presente/Futuro (Possibilidade)
|
She `may` arrive soon.
|
She `might` arrive soon.
|
Moderado a Baixo
|
|
Passado (Possibilidade)
|
They `may have` left.
|
They `might have` left.
|
Moderado a Baixo
|
|
Sugestão Educada
|
—
|
You `might want` to try this.
|
Sutil
|
|
Permissão Formal
|
You `may` enter.
|
—
|
Alto (para permissão)
|
|
Possibilidade Negativa
|
He `may not` agree.
|
He `might not` agree.
|
Moderado a Baixo
|
|
Discurso Indireto
|
He said he `may` go.
|
He said he `might` go.
|
Depende do Contexto
|
Espectro de formalidade
May I enter the office? (Entering a space)
Can I come in? (Entering a space)
Is it okay if I come in? (Entering a space)
Mind if I crash? (Entering a space)
May & Might: Expressando Possibilidade
May
- Maior Chance It may rain.
- Permissão Formal You may leave.
- Oferta Educada May I help you?
Might
- Menor Chance It might rain.
- Sugestão Educada You might try this.
- Condicional If I go, I might see him.
Possibilidade no Passado
- May Have + V3 He may have called.
- Might Have + V3 She might have known.
Similaridades
- Verbo Base Always follow with base form.
- Sem 'to' Never use 'to' after them.
May vs. Might: Níveis de Força da Possibilidade
Escolhendo May ou Might para Possibilidade
Você está falando sobre possibilidade/probabilidade?
Você precisa soar muito formal ou dar permissão?
A possibilidade é ligeiramente menor ou é uma sugestão gentil?
É uma possibilidade no passado?
May & Might em Contextos Modernos
Mensagens/Texting
- • I might be late.
- • We may just order pizza.
- • She might not reply soon.
Trabalho/Estudo
- • The report may be due Friday.
- • We might need more data.
- • He may have missed the meeting.
Planos Sociais
- • They might join us later.
- • I may try that new cafe.
- • We might not go if it rains.
Especulação
- • It may be a good idea.
- • He might be right about that.
- • They may have seen something.
Exemplos por nível
I might go to the shop.
Maybe I will go to the shop.
It may rain today.
Maybe it will rain today.
She might be late.
Maybe she is late.
May I sit here?
Is it okay if I sit here?
We might not watch the movie.
It is possible we won't watch it.
He may come to the party.
There is a good chance he will come.
You may use my pen.
I give you permission to use my pen.
They might have a dog.
Perhaps they have a dog.
If I finish early, I might join you.
I'll join you if I have time, but I'm not sure.
The results may be available tomorrow.
It's likely the results will be ready.
Might I suggest a different color?
I want to politely suggest a change.
It might not be as easy as it looks.
There is a possibility of difficulty.
She might have missed the train.
I'm guessing she missed the train in the past.
This discovery may lead to new treatments.
This could potentially cause new treatments.
You might want to check the oil.
I am suggesting you check the oil.
He said that he might be late.
He mentioned the possibility of being late.
The policy may well be revised next year.
It is very likely the policy will change.
You might at least say thank you!
I am criticizing you for not saying thank you.
Be that as it may, we must proceed.
Even if that is true, we have to continue.
They might have been joking, but I'm not sure.
It's possible their past intent was humor.
Try as he might, he could not open the door.
No matter how hard he tried, he failed.
May you find the peace you seek.
I hope you find peace.
The defendant may not have been present at the scene.
It is possible the defendant was elsewhere.
It might behoove you to listen more closely.
It would be advantageous for you to listen.
Fácil de confundir
Learners use 'can' for everything. They forget 'may' is for formal permission.
'May not' is a possibility of 'no', while 'must not' is a strong prohibition.
'Maybe' is an adverb (one word); 'may be' is a verb phrase (two words).
Erros comuns
I might to go.
I might go.
He mays come.
He may come.
I don't might go.
I might not go.
Might you help me?
Can you help me? / May I help you?
It may not be true (meaning it's impossible).
It cannot be true.
I might will go.
I might go.
He might has forgotten.
He might have forgotten.
Padrões de frases
I might ___ if I have time.
It may ___ later, so take an umbrella.
May I ___?
That might not be ___.
Real World Usage
I might be 5 mins late!
My skills may be a good fit for this role.
It may rain in the afternoon.
The evidence may suggest a correlation.
May I have the dressing on the side?
Might delete this later, idk.
Sugestões educadas
Faça isso, tente algo como You might want to consider thispara soar mais colaborativo.
Sem 'to' depois de modal
to + verbo. Por exemplo, may go, e não may to go.O Contexto é Chave
You may enter é permissão.Sutilezas na Fala Casual
You might be understoodperfeitamente.
Smart Tips
Use 'might' instead of 'maybe'. Instead of 'Maybe I'll go', say 'I might go'.
Use 'may' to express possibilities to sound more professional.
Remember it's almost always about permission, not a guess.
Just remember: Modals are 'lazy' verbs—they never change their clothes!
Pronúncia
The silent 'gh'
In 'might', the 'gh' is completely silent. It sounds exactly like 'mite'.
Weak 'may'
In fast speech, 'may' is often very short and unstressed.
Rising Intonation for Permission
May I? ↗
Conveys politeness and waiting for an answer.
Falling Intonation for Possibility
It might rain. ↘
Conveys a statement of opinion or guess.
Memorize
Mnemônico
MIGHT is for a SLIGHT chance; MAY is for a DAY when it's more likely.
Associação visual
Imagine a weather forecast. 'May' is a gray cloud with a few drops. 'Might' is a tiny cloud far away in the corner of the screen.
Rhyme
When you're not sure and want to say 'maybe', Use 'might' for a chance that's small and hazy.
Story
A detective is looking at a crime scene. He says, 'The thief MAY be local (50% sure), but he MIGHT be from another city (30% sure). He MAY NOT have left any prints.'
Word Web
Desafio
Look out your window. Write three things that MIGHT happen in the next 10 minutes (e.g., A car might drive past).
Notas culturais
British speakers use 'might' much more frequently than Americans to sound 'polite' or 'indirect'. It is a form of social hedging.
In the US, 'may' is often reserved for very formal situations or written signs. In speech, 'might' or 'maybe' is preferred.
In some Southern dialects, you might hear 'double modals' like 'might could', though this is non-standard.
From Old English 'magan' (to be able, to have power).
Iniciadores de conversa
What might you do if you won the lottery?
Where may we see the most change in technology in 10 years?
May I ask what your plans are for the weekend?
What might happen if humans lived on Mars?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
She ___ be at the library right now, I'm not sure.
May é um verbo modal e não muda de forma. Ele é seguido pela forma base do verbo (be).Find and fix the mistake:
They might to forget about our meeting.
might) são seguidos diretamente pela forma base do verbo principal (forget), sem to.Choose the correct sentence:
May not é corretamente seguido pela forma base do verbo (understand). Outras opções têm formas verbais incorretas.Translate into English: 'Es posible que llueva mañana.'
Answer starts with: ["I...
May ou might são perfeitos para expressar possibilidade. Tomorrow indica um evento futuro.Score: /4
Exercicios praticos
8 exercises___ I borrow your umbrella, please?
It ___ rain later, so don't forget your coat.
Find and fix the mistake:
She mights be at home.
Perhaps he is busy.
A: Are you coming to the party? B: I'm not sure. I ___.
You can use 'might' to ask for permission in a casual way.
Identify the possibility sentence.
May I? / It might.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesI ___ not be able to join the call, my internet is unstable.
She might to call you later.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Es posible que él ya se haya ido.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the modal with the best description of its use for possibility.
If you don't take an umbrella, you ___ get wet.
The meeting might starts at 10 AM.
Select the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Ella podría no saber la respuesta.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the modal forms with their primary meanings.
Score: /12
Perguntas frequentes (8)
In most cases, they are interchangeable. However, `may` is slightly more formal and suggests a higher probability (50%), while `might` is more common in speech and suggests a lower probability (30%).
Yes, but it is very rare, especially in American English. It's better to say `might not`.
Historically, yes. In modern English, we use `might` to talk about the present and future. We only use it as a past tense in reported speech (e.g., 'He said he might come').
Modal verbs like `may` and `might` are followed by the 'bare infinitive' (the verb without 'to'). This is a strict rule in English grammar.
Use `May I` in formal situations, like with a teacher, a boss, or someone you don't know well. Use `Can I` with friends and family.
It can! In formal signs, `You may not...` means it is forbidden. In a guess, `It may not rain` means it's possible it won't rain. Context is key.
You can, but it sounds extremely formal or old-fashioned. `Might I ask a question?` is something you might hear in a very formal debate.
To talk about the past, we use `might have + past participle`. For example: `He might have forgotten`.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
puede que + subjunctive
English doesn't have a subjunctive mood for this; it just changes the modal verb.
il se peut que / pouvoir
English 'might' is more common in speech than the French equivalent 'il se pourrait que'.
könnte / mag
German modals conjugate for person, whereas English ones do not.
kamoshirenai (かもしれない)
In English, the modal comes before the verb; in Japanese, it comes after.
yumkin (يمكن) / qad (قد)
Arabic 'qad' can also mean 'already' if used with a past-tense verb, which is confusing for learners.
kěnéng (可能)
Chinese doesn't distinguish between 'may' and 'might' in terms of probability levels.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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