väga

Väga is a common Estonian adverb meaning "very" or "extremely." It functions as a degree modifier, placing before the word it strengthens—typically before adjectives, participles, or other adverbs. It does not inflect and remains the same regardless of gender, number, or case of the word it accompanies. It is pronounced roughly as [ˈʋæɡɐ].

In usage, väga intensifies adjectives and adverbs: for example, väga hea (very good), väga huvitav (very interesting), and väga kiiresti (very quickly). It also appears in fixed phrases such as väga hea meelega (very happy to do something). In clauses, it commonly comes directly before the word it modifies, as in Maja on väga suur (The house is very big). For milder meaning or negation, speakers use phrases like mitte väga or mitte eriti: see ei ole mitte väga suur (this is not very big). Repetition for emphasis is possible in informal speech, e.g., väga, väga tore (very, very nice).

Etymology and status: The exact origin of väga is not definitively established, but it is a stable and widely used particle in Standard Estonian and has no inflection. Its ubiquity across registers—from everyday conversation to formal writing—makes it one of the most frequent degree modifiers in the language.