Can I use やめた instead of やめる in this sentence?


会社をやめるかもしれません。

Can I say "会社をやめたかもしれません。"? Is the second usage acceptable in Japanese?




Assuming "I" as the subject, The latter sentence, 会社をやめたかもしれません, means "I may
have quit my company." simply because やめた is the ta-form (past tense) of やめる.
Such a sentence is uncommon, but can be used:

  * When you have no idea what you actually did in the past, and you are really not sure whether you quit your company or you are still employed.
  * When you euphemistically confess to someone the fact that you quit your job. When you think suddenly saying it assertively is too shocking to someone. かもしれない can "soften" the sentence, even though you actually know you definitely quit your job.

If you are talking about what you will do in the future, 会社をやめたかもしれません never
works. You always have to say 会社をやめるかもしれません.

