pewnie

Pewnie is a Polish adverb that primarily means "surely," "certainly," or "confidently." It can express certainty about a statement or describe the manner of an action. In everyday speech it can also convey probability, roughly equivalent to "probably" depending on context.

Etymology and usage notes: Pewnie is derived from the adjective pewny (certain, sure) and formed with the suffix -nie to function as an adverb. It is common in both standard and colloquial Polish. In addition to asserting certainty, it can modify verbs to indicate confident or decisive action, and it can signal probability in informal speech.

Examples: Odpowiedział pewnie, że przyjdzie. (He answered confidently that he would come.) Jutro mamy egzamin; pewnie będzie ciężko. (Tomorrow we have an exam; it will probably be tough.) Deszcz pada, pewnie będzie padać dalej przez cały dzień. (It is raining; it will probably rain all day.)

Relation to other terms: Pewnie is closely related to the adjective pewny and the noun pewność (certainty). For more formal or precise meanings, speakers may use z pewnością (with certainty) for certainty or prawdopodobnie (probably) for probability.

Overall: Pewnie is a versatile adverb used across registers to express certainty or probability, often in spoken Polish. Its sense depends on context and tone, ranging from confident assertion to hedged probability.