“Maybe” in English is usually interpreted as 50/50 chance something will happen. Most Japanese will translate “maybe” as 多分 (tabun) which I feel slants more towards “yes” or “possible”. This can be a source of misunderstanding like if I was asked if I wanted to go somewhere and I answered “maybe” (in English). There might be the chance that the Japanese person interprets it as I will “probably” go and starts making plans. I suppose it all depends on what is said before and after the “maybe”. Anyone have any interesting stories regarding “maybe”?
I noticed the same difficulties in using the word “maybe”, but could not explain it to myself. Your explanation sounds plausible. Anyhow, to avoid that problem did I stop using the word maybe or “tabun”. Instead do I answer those questions with “mada kimetenai desu”, in order to make it very clear that I did not yet decide on the matter at hand.
It’s a tough word even without a language barrier because the connotation is either true or false based on the persons past experiences with the word. The denotation of I don’t know is almost always ignored because people always want answers.
With most other words you might have a slightly different meaning for them but that meaning wouldn’t make you totally wrong.
In my family it is the passive way of saying no.
Yeah, I’m sure it’s based off of how well you know the person saying it also, or generally from the context and the likelyhood of it going to happen.
Like if a friend you constantly invite to do something, but always says ‘maybe’ (but eventually declines), you’ll eventually consider another ‘maybe’ as a no.
One time I asked a student in my English Lesson “Have you ever been to Kyoto?”, to which she replied “Maybe”. I wasn’t quite sure what to think, but I guess she misunderstood my question.