Expressing Possibility: Puede

This pattern is a bit of a rebel. It uses something called the Subjunctive Mood. Do not let that name scare you away. At its heart, puede que acts as a trigger. When you say puede que, the next verb must change. It moves from a statement of fact to a possibility. It is like a grammar traffic light turning yellow. You are telling the listener, "Hey, I am just guessing here!" You do not need to conjugate puede. It stays exactly as it is. Only the verb that follows it changes its form. It is a simple two-part team effort.

1. 1Creating these sentences is like building with Lego blocks. Just follow these three easy steps:
2. 2Start your sentence with the fixed phrase puede que.
3. 3Pick the person you are talking about (the subject).
4. 4Change the main verb into its Subjunctive form.
5. 5For example, if you want to use the verb ser (to be):
6. 6Start: Puede que...
7. 7Subject: ...él...
8. 8Subjunctive: ...sea.
9. 9Result: Puede que él sea el jefe (It might be that he is the boss).

Use this pattern whenever you are playing the guessing game. Imagine you are at a job interview. You might say, Puede que yo tenga la experiencia necesaria. This sounds humble and realistic. Or imagine you are ordering food at a restaurant. You see a dish you do not recognize. You might tell your friend, Puede que sea picante (It might be spicy). It is also great for giving directions. If you aren't sure where the museum is, say Puede que esté cerca. It saves you from being blamed if you are wrong! Use it for weather, feelings, or future plans too.

Do not use puede que for things you know are true. If the sun is shining, do not say puede que haga sol. That just sounds confusing! Avoid it when stating cold, hard facts. If you are 100% sure your name is Juan, stick to me llamo Juan. Using this grammar for certainties makes you sound very indecisive. It is like wearing a raincoat inside a dry house. It just does not fit the situation. Also, do not use it for commands or direct requests. It is for sharing thoughts, not for giving orders.

The biggest mistake is using the normal (Indicative) verb. People often say puede que es instead of puede que sea. This is the most common trip-up for new learners. Even some native speakers might slip up in casual speech! Another mistake is trying to conjugate puede. Do not say puedo que or pueden que. The phrase puede que is a frozen block of ice. It never melts or changes shape. Finally, do not forget the word que. Without it, the sentence falls apart like a bad taco. Always keep that que right after puede.

You might know the word quizás or tal vez. These also mean "maybe." However, puede que always requires the subjunctive. With quizás, you sometimes have a choice. Puede que is more strict but also more common in spoken Spanish. Think of puede que as the casual, everyday version of "perhaps." It is slightly more informal than es posible que. While es posible que sounds like a textbook, puede que sounds like a conversation over coffee. They all do the same job, but puede que has more "street cred."