quizá

Quizá is a Spanish adverb meaning perhaps or maybe. It is used to express doubt about the likelihood of an event or statement and is typically placed before a clause, with the following verb often in the subjunctive: “Quizá llueva mañana.” It can also appear with the indicative in some contexts, especially in informal speech, to indicate a softer assertion.

Quizá has a closely related variant, quizás, which is equally common in Spain and Latin America. Both forms share the same meaning, though some style guides treat quizá as slightly more formal or literary, while quizás is widely used in everyday speech. There are also archaic or less common spellings such as quiza in older texts, from which the modern forms developed.

The etymology of quizá is not definitively established. The word appears in written Spanish from at least the early modern period, and its origin is generally connected to older adverbial forms signaling doubt or possibility. Its relationship to other expressions of uncertainty, such as tal vez, is recognized in dictionaries and grammar guides.

Examples include: “Quizá no sea tarde para llamar,” “Quizá llueva esta noche,” and “Quizás lleguen más tarde.” In usage, quizá functions similarly to other hedges of probability and is a common tool for expressing tentativeness in Spanish.