Might (shâyad)

Expressing Possibility: Might (شاید)

To express possibility, uncertainty, or that something "might" happen, use شاید.

Just like باید (must), شاید is an impersonal modal verb. It does not conjugate to match the subject. Instead, it stays exactly the same, and the main verb of the sentence takes the present subjunctive form.

(Subject) + شاید + [Rest of Sentence] + Present Subjunctive

Possibility with Compound Verbs

When using شاید with compound verbs, only the final verbal part of the compound takes the subjunctive form. The non-verbal part remains unchanged.

"Might Be" and Discussing the Weather

If you want to say something "might be" a certain way, use the subjunctive forms of the verb "to be", which are built on the stem باش (e.g., باشد for "it be"). This pattern is very common when making predictions about the weather.