. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English mowen, mayen, moȝen, maȝen, from Old English magan, from Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą, from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-.
Cognate with Dutch mag (“may”, first and third-person singular of mogen (“to be able to, be allowed to, may”)), Low German mögen, German mag (“like”, first and third-person singular of mögen (“to like, want, require”)), Swedish må, Icelandic mega, megum. See also might.
Alternative forms
Verb
may (third-person singular simple present may, no present participle, simple past might, no past participle)
- (obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over).
- (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 6:But many times […] we give way to passions we may resist and will not.
- (intransitive, poetic) To be able to go.
- (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.
- Synonyms: can, could, might
you may smoke outside; may I sit there?
- (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly.
- Synonyms: could, might
he may be lying; Schrödinger's cat may or may not be in the box
2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2-2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.
2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.
- (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).
- Synonym: might
may you win; may the weather be sunny
1974, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “Forever Young”, in Planet Waves:May God bless and keep you always / May your wishes all come true / May you always do for others / And let others do for you / May you build a ladder to the stars / And climb on every rung / May you stay forever young
- Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.
1744 [1720], Matthew Prior, “Phillis's age”, in Joe Miller's Jests, 7th edition:How old may Phillis be, you ask, / Whose Beauty thus all Hearts engages.
Usage notes
- May is now a defective verb. It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of to be allowed to are used to replace these missing tenses.
- The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of may is might.
- The present tense is negated as may not, which can be contracted to mayn't, although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as might not, which can be contracted to mightn't.
- May has archaic second-person singular present forms mayest and mayst.
- Usage of this word in the sense of possibly is considered incorrect by some speakers and writers, as it blurs the meaning of the word in the sense have permission to. These speakers and writers prefer to use the word might instead.
- Conversely, since may not is particularly likely to promote confusion between the senses of "will possibly not" and "is forbidden to," some rules for the drafting of laws and regulations proscribe "may not" and require the use of "must not" or similar for clarity. Example:
- Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word may, as in Have a great day! rather than May you have a great day. The use of may for this purpose may lend a more formal, literary, or solemn feeling (perhaps jocularly so) to the wish. Moreover, wishes in the subjunctive need not use may if the meaning is clear without it, which is the case mainly for established expressions in the third-person singular such as God help you.
Derived terms
Translations
have permission to
- American Sign Language: S@Sternumhigh-PalmDown-S@Sternumhigh-PalmDown S@Chesthigh-PalmDown-S@Chesthigh-PalmDown
- Arabic: اِسْتَطَاعَ (ar) (istaṭāʕa), مُمْكِن (mumkin, literally “possible”)
- Bulgarian: мога (bg) (moga), имам възможност (imam vǎzmožnost)
- Catalan: poder (ca)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 可以 (ho2 ji5)
- Mandarin: 可以 (zh) (kěyǐ)
- Czech: smět (cs)
- Danish: må (da)
- Dutch: mogen (nl)
- Esperanto: rajti (eo)
- Finnish: voida (fi), saada (fi)
- French: pouvoir (fr)
- Galician: poder (gl), valer (gl)
- German: dürfen (de), können (de)
- Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌽 (binauhan)
- Greek: μπορώ (el) (boró), επιτρέπεται (el) (epitrépetai)
- Hungarian: szabad (hu), -hat (hu), -het (hu)
- Icelandic: mega (is)
- Indonesian: boleh (id), dapat (id), bisa (id)
- Italian: potere (it)
- Japanese: してもいい (shite mo ii)
- Korean: 할 수 있다 (hal su itda)
- Latin: possum (la), (use the subjunctive tense of the verb that follows) sim (la), mihi licet, licet
- Latvian: drīkstēt
- Malay: boleh
- Ngazidja Comorian: ukaya na ruhusa
- Norwegian: kan (no), få (no), må (no)
- Old English: magan, mōtan
- Persian: توانستن (fa) (tavânestan)
- Polish: móc (pl)
- Portuguese: poder (pt)
- Romanian: putea (ro)
- Russian: мочь (ru) (močʹ), мо́жно (ru) (móžno) (predicative)
- Slovak: smieť
- Sorbian:
- Upper Sorbian: (ip) směć (hsb)
- Spanish: poder (es)
- Swedish: få (sv), kunna (sv), kan (sv)
- Tagalog: maaari (tl), puwede (tl)
- Vietnamese: được phép
- Walloon: poleur (wa)
- Welsh: cael (cy)
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possibly, but not certainly
- American Sign Language: S@Sternumhigh-PalmDown-S@Sternumhigh-PalmDown S@Chesthigh-PalmDown-S@Chesthigh-PalmDown
- Catalan: potser (ca) (followed by "que" and then the subjunctive)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 可能 (ho2 nang4)
- Mandarin: 可能 (zh) (kěnéng)
- Czech: (please verify) moci (cs) (moct)
- Danish: måske (da)
- Dutch: (please verify) misschien (nl)
- Finnish: voida (fi), saattaa (fi), taitaa (fi)
- French: peut-être (fr), se pouvoir (impersonal, third-person singular)
- Galician: pode ser
- German: können (de), mögen (de)
- Greek: ίσως (el) (ísos), μάλλον (el) (mállon)
- Ancient: (optative mood +) ἄν (án)
- Hebrew: עשוי ('asúi)
- Hungarian: lehet (hu), lehetséges (hu), előfordulhat
- Icelandic: geta (is) (in the past subjunctive)
- Indonesian: mungkin (id), barangkali (id), bisa jadi (id), bisa saja
- Italian: (please verify) forse (it), (please verify) può essere che + subjunctive
- Japanese: 多分 (ja) (たぶん, tabun), かも知れない (ja) (かもしれない, kamo shirenai)
- Latin: (use the subjunctive tense of the verb that follows) sim (la)
- Malay: mungkin (ms), boleh jadi
- Norwegian: kan være, also expressed with adv. kanskje (no)
- Persian: شایَد (fa) (šâyad)
- Polish: móc (pl), możliwe, że
- Portuguese: talvez (pt), poder (pt)
- Romanian: se poate
- Russian: (please verify) мо́жет быть (ru) (móžet bytʹ, literally “may be”), (please verify) мочь (ru) (močʹ)
- Spanish: quizás (es), tal vez (es), poder ser
- Swedish: kan (sv), kanske (sv), må (sv)
- Tagalog: maaari (tl), puwede (tl)
- Thai: อาจ (th) (àat)
- Vietnamese: có lẽ (vi)
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subjunctive
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 願/愿 (jyun6)...
- Mandarin: 願/愿 (zh) (yuàn)...
- Czech: nechť (cs)
- Dutch: mogen (nl)
- French: que (fr) + + subjunctive (verb)
- German: mögen (de), sollen (de), Konkinktiv I (verb)
- Hungarian: -j (hu) (assimilated after certain endings)
- Italian: use subjunctive of potere (it)
- Latin: (use the subjunctive tense of the verb that follows) sim (la)
- Malay: semoga, selamat (ms)
- Nahuatl: mā
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: måtte (no)
- Polish: żeby (pl), oby (pl), niechaj (pl), niech (pl), bodaj (pl), bogdaj (Old Polish)
- Portuguese: que (pt)
- Romanian: să (ro)
- Russian: да (ru) (da) ... , да бу́дет (ru) (da búdet)
- Serbo-Croatian: dàbōgda (sh)
- Spanish: que (es), ojalá que
- Swedish: må (sv)
- Ukrainian: неха́й (nexáj), хай (xaj), най (naj)
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Translations to be checked
See also
Etymology 2
French mai, so called because it blossoms in the month of May.
Noun
may (uncountable)
- The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.
Derived terms
Translations
the hawthorn bush or its blossom
Verb
may (third-person singular simple present mays, present participle maying, simple past and past participle mayed)
- (poetic, intransitive) To gather may, or flowers in general.
1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XIX, Chapter i leaf 386v:Soo it befelle in the moneth of May / quene Gueneuer called vnto her knyȝtes of the table round / and she gafe them warnynge that erly vpon the morowe she wold ryde on mayeng in to woodes & feldes besyde westmynstre.
"So it befell in the month of May, Queen Guenever called unto her knights of the Table Round; and she gave them warning that early upon the morrow she would ride a-Maying into woods and fields beside Westminster."
- (poetic, intransitive) To celebrate May Day.
Etymology 3
From Middle English may, maye (“woman, maid, girl, virgin”), from Old English mǣġ (“kinswoman”), from Proto-West Germanic *māg, from Proto-Germanic *mēgaz (“kinsman”). Related to Old English māge, mǣġe (“kinswoman”) and Old English mǣġ (“kinsman”).
Noun
may (plural mays)
- (archaic) A maiden.
Anagrams
Azerbaijani
Etymology
Borrowed from Russian май (maj).
Pronunciation
Noun
may (definite accusative mayı, plural maylar)
- (North Azerbaijani) May
- Synonym: (South Azerbaijani) مه (mə)
Declension
See also
- (Gregorian calendar months) ay; yanvar, fevral, mart, aprel, may, iyun, iyul, avqust, sentyabr, oktyabr, noyabr, dekabr (Category: az:Months)
Bikol Central
Verb
may
- there is
- to have
Synonyms
Antonyms
Crimean Tatar
Noun
may
- butter, oil
Declension
Declension of may
nominative
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may
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genitive
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maynıñ
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dative
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mayğa
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accusative
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maynı
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locative
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mayda
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ablative
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maydan
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Synonyms
Kalasha
Determiner
may
- my
Pronoun
may
- me
Mapudungun
Adverb
may (Raguileo spelling)
- yes
References
- Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.
Northern Kurdish
Noun
may m
- intervention
Derived terms
Pacoh
Etymology
From Proto-Katuic *maj, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *mi[i]ʔ.
Pronunciation
Pronoun
may
- you (second person singular pronoun)
Affixed forms
Quechua
Adverb
may
- where
- like, how, very
Derived terms
See also
Pronoun
may
- (interrogative pronoun) which
Verb
may
- (transitive) to fear
Conjugation
Tagalog
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Particle
may (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜌ᜔)
- particle used as an existential marker: to be; to have
- Synonyms: mayroon, meron
- Antonym: wala
May tubig sa bahay.- There is water in the house.
May pagkain ako rito, sa'yo na lang.- I have food here, have it.
Usage notes
- May is used immediately after the thing possessed or existing, whereas mayroon can be separated by enclitics (e.g. lang, kaya, and ako). Sentences like *may ako pagkain would be ungrammatical.
Derived terms
See also
Preposition
may (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜌ᜔)
- used after sa: by; around; near
Kunin mo ang araro doon sa may puno ng mangga.- Get the shovel by the mango tree.
- (literally, “Get the shovel at the place with the mango tree.”)
Further reading
- “may”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
Tatar
Alternative forms
Noun
may
- May (Month of the Year)
Declension
declension of may
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singular
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plural
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nominative
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may
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may
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genitive
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may
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may
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dative
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may
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may
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accusative
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may
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may
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locative
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may
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may
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ablative
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may
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may
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See also
Uzbek
Etymology
From Russian май (maj), from Latin māius.
Noun
may (plural maylar)
- May
Declension
Related terms
- (Gregorian calendar months) oy; yanvar, fevral, mart, aprel, may, iyun, iyul, avgust, sentabr, oktabr, noyabr, dekabr (Category: uz:Months)
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Cognate with Muong băl.
Verb
may • (𦁼, 埋, 枚)
- to sew
Derived terms
See also
Etymology 2
Adjective
may • (𢆧, 埋, 𱜿, 𱝁, 枚, 𠶣)
- lucky
- Synonym: hên
Derived terms
Etymology 3
Noun
may • (埋, 枚)
- (now rarely in isolation) a cold breeze
See also
Walloon
Etymology
From Old French mai, from Latin Māius.
Pronunciation
Noun
may
- May (month)
See also
- (Gregorian calendar months) djanvî, fevrî, måss, avri, may, djun, djulete, awousse, setimbe, octôbe, nôvimbe, decimbe (Category: wa:Months)