【may】在多语言下的意思、翻译、词源、用法、例句

英语(English)

发音(Pronunciation)

• enPR: mā, IPA^(key): /meɪ/

• Audio (US)

• Rhymes: -eɪ

词源1(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.

动词(Verb)

may (third-person singular simple present may, no present participle, simple past might, no past participle)

1. (obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over). [8th–17th c.]
2. (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can. [8th–17th c.]
   • 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 54573970, partition II, section 3, member 6:

     But many times […] we give way to passions we may resist and will not.

3. (intransitive, poetic) To be able to go. [from 9th c.]
   • 1600, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, III.3:

     O weary night, O long and tedious night,
     Abate thy houres, shine comforts from the East,
     That I may backe to Athens by day-light […].

4. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. [from 9th c.]

   you may smoke outside;  may I sit there?

   Synonyms: can, could, might

5. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly. [from 13th c.]

   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.

   Synonyms: could, might

6. (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). [from 16th c.]

   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

   • 1984, “No More Lonely Nights”, performed by Paul McCartney:

     May I never miss the thrill of being near you

   Synonym: might

7. 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^[1], seventh edition:

     How old may Phillis be, you ask, / Whose Beauty thus all Hearts engages.

用法注意(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.
• 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.

衍生词(Derived terms)

翻译(Translations)

查看更多(See also)

• Appendix:English modal verbs
• Appendix:English tag questions

词源2(Etymology 2)

French mai, so called because it blossoms in the month of May.

名词(Noun)

may (uncountable)

1. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.

衍生词(Derived terms)

• Italian may
• mayhaw

翻译(Translations)

动词(Verb)

may (third-person singular simple present mays, present participle maying, simple past and past participle mayed)

1. (poetic, intransitive) To gather may, or flowers in general.
   • 1922, A. E. Housman, Last Poems, VII, lines 1-2:

     In valleys green and still / Where lovers wander maying

2. (poetic, intransitive) To celebrate May Day.

词源3(Etymology 3)

Shortening of maid, from maiden.

名词(Noun)

may (plural mays)

1. (archaic) A maiden.

变位词(Anagrams)

• Amy, MYA, Mya, Yam, mya, yam

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Azerbaijani

名词(Noun)

may (definite accusative mayı, plural maylar)

1. May

变化形式(Declension)

查看更多(See also)

• (Gregorian calendar months) ay; yanvar, fevral, mart, aprel, may, iyun, iyul, avqust, sentyabr, oktyabr, noyabr, dekabr ^{(Category: az:Months)}

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Bikol Central

动词(Verb)

may

1. there is
2. to have

同义词(Synonyms)

• igwa

反义词(Antonyms)

• mayo
• wara

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Crimean Tatar

名词(Noun)

may

1. butter, oil

变化形式(Declension)

同义词(Synonyms)

• yağ

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Interlingue

名词(Noun)

may (plural mayes)

1. May, the fifth month of the Gregorian calendar.

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Kalasha

Determiner

may

1. my

代词(Pronoun)

may

1. me

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Mapudungun

副词(Adverb)

may (using Raguileo Alphabet)

1. yes

来源参考(References)

• Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

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Northern Kurdish

名词(Noun)

may m

1. intervention

衍生词(Derived terms)

• mayê xwe tê dan
• maytêder
• maytêderî
• maytêker
• maytêkerî
• mayê xwe tê kirin

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Quechua

副词(Adverb)

may

1. where
2. like, how, very

衍生词(Derived terms)

• maykama
• mayman
• maymanta
• maypi

查看更多(See also)

• may may

代词(Pronoun)

may

1. (interrogative pronoun) which

动词(Verb)

may

1. (transitive) to fear

动词变化形式(Conjugation)

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Tagalog

Particle

may

1. particle used as an existential marker

   Antonym: wala

   May tubig sa bahay.

   There is water in the house.

   May ginto sa kuweba.

   There is gold in the cave.

   May mga malalaking pating sa dagat.

   There are big sharks in the sea.

同义词(Synonyms)

• mayroon
• meron

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Tatar

替代形式(Alternative forms)

• май (may)

名词(Noun)

may

1. May (Month of the Year)

变化形式(Declension)

查看更多(See also)

• Previous: äpril. * Next: yün

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Uzbek

词源(Etymology)

From Russian май (maj), from Latin māius.

名词(Noun)

may (plural maylar)

1. May

变化形式(Declension)

关联词(Related terms)

• (Gregorian calendar months) oy; yanvar, fevral, mart, aprel, may, iyun, iyul, avgust, sentabr, oktabr, noyabr, dekabr ^{(Category: uz:Months)}

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Vietnamese

发音(Pronunciation)

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [maj˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [maj˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ma(ː)j˧˧]

词源1(Etymology 1)

Cognate with Muong băl.

动词(Verb)

may • (𦁼, 𦄆, 𧛉, 𫋿)

1. to sew

衍生词(Derived terms)

查看更多(See also)

• khâu

词源2(Etymology 2)

形容词(Adjective)

may • (幸, 枚, 𢆧, 𢆨, 𢆪, 𪝅, 𫥏)

1. lucky

   Synonym: hên

衍生词(Derived terms)

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Walloon

词源(Etymology)

From Old French mai, from Latin Māius.

名词(Noun)

may

1. May (month)

查看更多(See also)

• (Gregorian calendar months) djanvî, fevrî, måss, avri, may, djun, djulete, awousse, setimbe, octôbe, nôvimbe, decimbe ^{(Category: wa:Months)}