多半

duōbàn

adverb HSK 6 #9,260

Meanings

More than half — mostly, probably.

他多半不会来了。

Tā duōbàn búhuì lái le.

He most likely won't come.

这件事多半是真的。

Zhè jiàn shì duōbàn shì zhēnde.

This matter is most likely true.

来的人多半是年轻人。

Lái de rén duōbàn shì niánqīngrén.

Most of the people who came were young.

明天多半会下雨。

Míngtiān duōbàn huì xiàyǔ.

It will most likely rain tomorrow.

usage

多半 expresses probability (~70-80% likelihood) and is softer than 肯定 (definitely). It's used in spoken Chinese to make educated guesses.

多 duō

半 bàn