quizás vs tal vez

R Z.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

quizás vs tal vez

Here in Puerto Rico, it was suggested to me that one had the flavor of "perhaps" and the other "maybe", but I always forget which is which. 

Asked 4 years ago
InmaKwiziq team member

Hola R,

if you are referring to "perhaps" being slightly more formal than "maybe", I don't think there is that difference between the Spanish "quizás" and "tal vez", at least in Peninsular Spanish. I see them both at the same level. 

There is another "maybe" in Spanish which is "a lo mejor"; this phrase is a bit more colloquial than the others. Here are a couple of examples:

A lo mejor voy al parque hoy.

I may go to the park today./ Maybe I will go to the park today.

A lo mejor estás celosa.

You may be jealous./ Maybe you are jealous.

Saludos

Inma

R Z.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I don't think of the difference between "perhaps" and "maybe" being one of formality, though arguably "perhaps" is slightly elevated. I think of the difference as perhaps being a bit more theoretical or unlikely than a maybe. As I said, I don't recall which Spanish word aligned with which English word, so I'll have to ask again. 

quizás vs tal vez

Here in Puerto Rico, it was suggested to me that one had the flavor of "perhaps" and the other "maybe", but I always forget which is which. 

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