a lo mejor

Spanish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Maybe from "en el mejor de los casos": in the best case.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a lo meˈxoɾ/ [a lo meˈxoɾ]
  • Syllabification: a lo me‧jor

Adverb

a lo mejor

  1. (idiomatic) maybe, perhaps
    Synonyms: quizá, quizás, tal vez

Usage notes

  • If a lo mejor is used with a clause, the verb in that clause is used almost exclusively in the indicative form:
A lo mejor Álex no sabe hablar inglés. ― Maybe Alex doesn't know how to speak English.
Nos falta la leche a lo mejor. ― We are out of milk, possibly.
The use of the subjunctive mood in these verbs, while rare, is also considered valid, but only when the verb comes after a lo mejor in the sentence. (Thus, in the above examples, A lo mejor Álex no sepa hablar inglés is valid, but *Nos falte la leche a lo mejor is not.)
  • By contrast, the synonyms of a lo mejor, such as quizás or tal vez, usually do trigger the use of the subjunctive mood (see quizás).

See also

Further reading

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