tā kěnéng zài wàimiàn gōngzuò, suǒyǐ méi shíjiān.

He might be working outside, so he has no time.

Breakdown of tā kěnéng zài wàimiàn gōngzuò, suǒyǐ méi shíjiān.

• 没méi: not
• 他tā: he
• 在zài: at
• 工作gōngzuò: to work

Questions & Answers about tā kěnéng zài wàimiàn gōngzuò, suǒyǐ méi shíjiān.

What is 在 doing in 在外面工作? Is it the progressive marker?

Here 在 (zài) is the preposition “at/in,” introducing the location 外面 (wàimiàn “outside”). It’s not the progressive marker. Compare:

• 他在工作 = he is working (progressive 在 before a verb).
• 他在外面工作 = he works/is working outside (在 introduces a place). The “right now” feeling comes from context; add 正在 or 现在 if you want to make it explicit.

Does 在外面工作 mean “working outside right now” or “has a job away from home” in general?

It’s ambiguous and depends on context. In a phone context, it likely means “he’s out working (now).” For “works in another city/away from home,” Chinese usually says 在外地工作 (zài wàidì gōngzuò) or 在国外工作 (abroad). For “outdoors (e.g., on a construction site),” 在外面工作 or a specific place like 在工地工作 is natural.

Why is 可能 placed after the subject? Can it go elsewhere?

可能 (kěnéng “might, possibly”) is a modal adverb and normally goes before the predicate: 他可能在外面工作 (default). Starting the sentence with it is also fine and more emphatic: 可能他在外面工作. Avoid splitting the place and the verb with 可能 in this sentence; 他在外面可能工作 is odd here unless you’re contrasting activities “when outside, he might (actually) work.”

Can I say 可能会 here?