tal vez
adverbCEFR B1High frequency
What does “tal vez” mean in English?
perhaps, maybe
perhaps, maybe (tal vez, two words; subjunctive = lower certainty; indicative = higher certainty; interchangeable with quizás)
Example sentences
Tal vez sea mejor esperar a que bajen los tipos de interés antes de pedir la hipoteca; de momento no tenemos prisa, y las condiciones podrían mejorar bastante.
Perhaps it would be better to wait until interest rates fall before applying for the mortgage; for the moment we are not in a hurry, and conditions could improve considerably.
Tal vez tienes razón en que deberíamos mudarnos antes de que los niños empiecen el colegio, porque así se integrarían mejor en el nuevo barrio desde el principio.
Perhaps you are right that we should move before the children start school, because that way they would integrate better in the new neighbourhood from the beginning.
No sé si aprobaré el examen de ciudadanía al primer intento, pero tal vez, con un poco más de preparación, consiga el resultado que necesito para solicitar la residencia permanente.
I don't know if I will pass the citizenship exam on the first try, but perhaps, with a little more preparation, I will manage to get the result I need to apply for permanent residence.
How to use it
Tal vez (two words — never talvez) means 'perhaps' or 'maybe' and is grammatically and pragmatically equivalent to quizás. Like quizás, it governs either subjunctive (lower certainty) or indicative (higher certainty) depending on the speaker's assessment of probability. In most contexts, tal vez and quizás are freely interchangeable. A very subtle register distinction: quizás may feel slightly more spoken and colloquial in some peninsular varieties, while tal vez is perhaps marginally more neutral and frequent in Latin American written Spanish — but both are accepted in all varieties and registers. The noun after tal vez is preceded by sea, esté, or another subjunctive form when lower certainty is signalled.
Common mistake
Tal vez is always two words. One-word talvez is a common misspelling, accepted in some informal Latin American digital writing but not standard. Like quizás, the mood choice (subjunctive vs indicative) carries a meaning distinction that English 'maybe/perhaps' does not encode. Learners should be taught the pair: quizás / tal vez + subjunctive = uncertain; + indicative = quite likely.