Perhaps | English Usage

Perhaps and maybe have the same meaning. Perhaps is more formal than maybe.

Perhaps is used to suggest that you are not certain about something.

• Perhaps we have met before.
• Perhaps she missed the train.
• Perhaps she made a mistake.
• Perhaps he was angry.
• She was perhaps the oldest among them.

Perhaps is also used when you are simply guessing a number or an amount.

• There were perhaps twenty girls in the class.
• She is perhaps eighty.

Perhaps in polite requests

Perhaps is often used to make a suggestion or a request sound more polite.

• Perhaps you should hire a professional to fix that.
• She doesn’t look well – perhaps she should consult a doctor.
• I don’t know how to use this fax machine. Perhaps you could help.
• Perhaps you could offer an explanation.