Breakdown of Capaz que ella venga; la probabilidad es alta, pero no tengo la certeza.
ser
to be
ella
she
pero
but
no
no, not
tener
to have
alto
tall / high
venir
to come
capaz que
maybe / perhaps
la probabilidad
the probability
la certeza
the certainty
Questions & Answers about Capaz que ella venga; la probabilidad es alta, pero no tengo la certeza.
Why does capaz que take the subjunctive venga in this sentence?
In Latin American Spanish, capaz que is a colloquial way to say 'maybe' or 'perhaps.' Because it expresses doubt, it frequently takes the subjunctive. You can also use the indicative (viene) if you feel highly confident that the action will happen. Here, the speaker explicitly states no tengo la certeza (I do not have the certainty), making the subjunctive venga the most natural choice to reflect that lingering doubt.
Is capaz que used exactly like tal vez or quizás?
Yes, it functions just like them to express probability and can take either the indicative or subjunctive depending on your level of certainty. The main difference is register: capaz que is highly colloquial and mostly used in everyday spoken Spanish in Latin America, whereas tal vez and quizás are more neutral and work perfectly in both formal and informal contexts.
Could you drop the que and just say Capaz ella venga?
Yes, in very informal, everyday speech across many parts of Latin America, people often drop the que and use capaz as a standalone adverb (for example, Ella capaz venga or Capaz ella venga). However, using capaz que is the more standard way to link the expression of doubt to a fully conjugated clause like this one.
Why does the speaker say no tengo la certeza with the article la? Don't we usually drop articles after tener, like in tengo miedo?
We typically drop the article after tener when referring to an abstract, general state or feeling. By using la certeza, the speaker is pointing to the specific certainty regarding this exact event (whether she will come or not). That said, saying no tengo certeza without the article is also perfectly correct and just sounds slightly more general.
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