Always, usually, sometimes...

rocinante says on Sep 19, 2007, 17:47:

Perhaps: Quizás, Tal vez are great - however in coloquial speech "De pronto" and "A lo mejor" are more common and less formal. I'd translate those as "probably". Also remember that using the future tense out of context has the same meaning - except in questions where it means "I wonder"

¿Que hora es? What time it is?

"Seran las dos" it's probably/perhaps 2.


Note: "A lo mejor" has a hopeful, positive connotation.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Peso 1400 by November" Feb 5, 2008

irispalacios says on Sep 26, 2007, 12:07:

Its importan to watch for common or non common expretions in spanish because it really depends on the country and even the city!!!!!!
tal vez and quizás are also words that you will use with subjuntivo.

Tal vez vaya al cine.
quizás vaya al cine.

Its also important to watch for accents ¿Qué hora es? serán...... it's possible to translate as it might be 2 or around 2

La I

rocinante says on Sep 30, 2007, 07:50:

Right you are - sorry I missed the acentos.

The Future and Conditional (and their respective perfects) out of context to express probability and wonderment about the present and the past (imperfect) respectively are super duper common in Colombia. Especially chismosas in bars gossipping about guys or other girls:

"He IS probably a dog", "she IS probably a hooker, she must have been out all last night", Those guys over by the wall ARE probably mafiosos...

In all this gossip in a bar, the person doing the talking will use the future tense for all capital verbs and the "probably" is usually omitted/optional. However "she must have been out all last night" would be in the Conditional or Conditional Perfect because in that case the speculation is about the past.

I know this all sounds complicated and I don't have the time now to post a crash course about this - So why do I bring this up? It is extremely common!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Peso 1400 by November" Feb 5, 2008