<blockquote>
<p>@Eduardo S wrote:<br />
In the sentence &quot;您的外卖可能会晚到一会&quot; what is the function of 到？</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In this sentence, 到 is the main verb. As you correctly said, it is used with the meaning of &quot;to arrive&quot;.</p>
<p>You are also correct when you say that 可能 is an adverb and 会 an auxiliary verb.</p>
<p><strong>About 会 in &quot;可能会&quot;</strong></p>
<p>It's easy for us English/Italian/Spanish/... speakers to see 会 as a verb used &quot;to indicate future tense&quot;, as you said. But it would be a mistake. In this sentence, it means &quot;to be possible, probable, likely, sure&quot;. The degree of the possibility is indicated by adverbs like 可能, 一定, etc.:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>可能</strong>会<br />
<strong>一定</strong>会</p>
</blockquote>
<p>While it's true that it is <strong>often</strong> used to indicate a <strong>future</strong> possibility, it can also indicate a possibility in the <strong>past</strong> or at the <strong>present</strong>. Definitely, it is not a verb used &quot;to indicate future tense&quot;.</p>
<p>From the book 《现代汉语八百词》:
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/upEus.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/upEus.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tBTOn.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tBTOn.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-02T09:34:46.423Z
One might want to add that there's both 一定要, indicating confidence, and 一定會 which is more like "there's certainly the possibility that". 可能會 is like "very possibly might", so must be understood pragmatically, i.e. the speaker is expressing concern and commiseration towards the waiting customer. Secondly, observe that while 可能會 and 一會 share the same character 會, it really writes another word in the latter instance, "yìhuǐr", also written 一會兒/一会儿.
John Frazer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-11T22:09:09.317Z
会 has the meaning of "be able to" and "be possible", both are pointing to the future from the time it is said.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-12T06:24:52.337Z
@r13 Yes, this is often the case, but it can also refer to the past or the present, as shown in the examples.
Joe at wearyourchinesename.com
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-13T01:56:25.237Z
I think the examples are the English equivalent of "future-in-the-past, also known as "prediction in the past", grammar form, which is the use of "would or was/were going to" to refer to the future from the perspective of some point in the past. https://www.thoughtco.com/future-in-the-past-grammar-1690811
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-02T07:31:38.253Z
2022-03-22T14:00:56.090Z
2022-03-22T14:00:56.090Z
Joe at wearyourchinesename.com
<p>到：从别处来</p>
<p>您的外卖可能会晚到一会。<br />
your order possible can late to a bit<br />
Your order may be a bit late.</p>
<p>Your order: 您的外卖<br />
possible: 可能<br />
will: 会<br />
late: 晚<br />
to: 到<br />
a bit (of time): 一会儿</p>
<p>A subjunctive sentence, indicated by 可能.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-02T17:22:28.370Z
2022-02-02T17:22:28.370Z
Pedroski
<p>您的外卖可能会晚到一会。</p>
<p>In the sentence above i think 可能 and 会 could be translated as &quot;probable/possibly be&quot;, 可能 being an adverb and 会 used as an auxiliary verb to indicate future tense, but then what is the meaning of 到？Is it used as the verb &quot;to arrive&quot; given the context or has it another usage?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-02T05:25:17.623Z
It means "arrive" in this context. 晚到一会 = 晚一会到
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-02T10:49:49.527Z
This has got to be a dupe of another question on the site.
Mou某
<translation><grammar>
In the sentence "您的外卖可能会晚到一会" what is the function of 到？
# In the sentence "您的外卖可能会晚到一会" what is the function of 到？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-02-02)

您的外卖可能会晚到一会。

In the sentence above i think 可能 and 会 could be translated as "probable/possibly be", 可能 being an adverb and 会 used as an auxiliary verb to indicate future tense, but then what is the meaning of 到？Is it used as the verb "to arrive" given the context or has it another usage?

**Tags:** translation, grammar
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It means "arrive" in this context. 晚到一会 = 晚一会到  
> **username_2**: This has got to be a dupe of another question on the site.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-02-02. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> @Eduardo S wrote:  
> In the sentence "您的外卖可能会晚到一会" what is the function of 到？

In this sentence, 到 is the main verb. As you correctly said, it is used with the meaning of "to arrive".

You are also correct when you say that 可能 is an adverb and 会 an auxiliary verb.

**About 会 in "可能会"**

It's easy for us English/Italian/Spanish/... speakers to see 会 as a verb used "to indicate future tense", as you said. But it would be a mistake. In this sentence, it means "to be possible, probable, likely, sure". The degree of the possibility is indicated by adverbs like 可能, 一定, etc.:

> **可能**会  
> **一定**会

While it's true that it is **often** used to indicate a **future** possibility, it can also indicate a possibility in the **past** or at the **present**. Definitely, it is not a verb used "to indicate future tense".

From the book 《现代汉语八百词》:
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/upEus.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/upEus.jpg)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/tBTOn.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/tBTOn.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: One might want to add that there's both 一定要, indicating confidence, and 一定會 which is more like "there's certainly the possibility that". 可能會 is like "very possibly might", so must be understood pragmatically, i.e. the speaker is expressing concern and commiseration towards the waiting customer. Secondly, observe that while 可能會 and 一會 share the same character 會, it really writes another word in the latter instance, "yìhuǐr", also written 一會兒/一会儿.  
> **username_5**: 会 has the meaning of "be able to" and "be possible", both are pointing to the future from the time it is said.  
> **username_3**: @r13 Yes, this is often the case, but it can also refer to the past or the present, as shown in the examples.  
> **username_5**: I think the examples are the English equivalent of "future-in-the-past, also known as "prediction in the past", grammar form, which is the use of "would or was/were going to" to refer to the future from the perspective of some point in the past. https://www.thoughtco.com/future-in-the-past-grammar-1690811  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2022-02-02. Score: 1

到：从别处来

您的外卖可能会晚到一会。  
your order possible can late to a bit  
Your order may be a bit late.

Your order: 您的外卖  
possible: 可能  
will: 会  
late: 晚  
to: 到  
a bit (of time): 一会儿

A subjunctive sentence, indicated by 可能.


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