möjligen

Möjligen is a Swedish adverb meaning possibly or perhaps. It is used to express uncertainty about a proposition or event and can modify either a whole clause or a single verb.

In usage, möjligen can appear before the main verb or after the subject, as in Det är möjligen sant or Han kommer möjligen ikväll. It is common in formal or careful writing and often sounds more restrained than kanske, and somewhat softer than antagligen or eventuellt.

Etymology and related forms: möjligen is derived from the adjective möjlig (meaning “possible”) with the adverbial suffix -ligen, yielding an adverb that expresses possibility. Cognates appear in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian muligens and Danish muligvis, with similar meanings and usage.

Nuance and synonyms: While אולי increasing degrees of uncertainty can be expressed with flera words, möjligen specifically signals that something is possible but not certain. Kanske is more general and colloquial, antagligen indicates probable likelihood, and eventuellt means “possibly, as a last resort” in more formal contexts.

Examples: Det är möjligen sant, men jag vill se mer bevis. Vi kommer möjligen ikväll, om tågen går i tid. Such usage demonstrates its role as a hedge in statements, allowing the speaker to express doubt without committing to a definite claim.

Summary: Möjligen is a formal, hedging adverb used to indicate that something may be true or may occur, without asserting certainty. It sits between mere possibility and probability in Swedish usage.