võibolla

Võibolla is an Estonian adverb meaning perhaps, maybe, or possibly. It is used to express uncertainty or to hedge a statement, indicating that the speaker considers a given proposition as one of several possible outcomes rather than as a definite fact.

Etymology and spelling variants: The word is built from the forms võib (may, to be able) and olla (to be). In contemporary Estonian orthography the hyphenated form võib-olla is standard in most official and formal writing. In informal contexts you may also encounter the two-word form võib olla, and less commonly the unhyphenated variant võibolla. The hyphenated form is generally preferred in modern style guides, but all variants are widely understood.

Usage: Võibolla can begin a sentence or appear within it to signal possibility. It often introduces a clause that presents a tentative conclusion or speculation. Examples include: Võib-olla saabub vihm täna õhtul. (Perhaps it will rain tonight.) See võib olla õige otsus. (That might be the right decision.) The adverb is not conjugated or declined; it modifies the verb or the entire clause and can appear with negation by combining with mitteteature or related structures.

Grammatical notes: Võib-olla functions as a sentence adverb indicating modality rather than as a finite verb. It can be used with various tenses and moods, and its position in a sentence is flexible, though it commonly appears at the beginning or before the verb it modifies. In style, it is a standard hedging device in both spoken and written Estonian and appears in everyday conversation as well as formal text.

See also: Modality in Estonian; hedging expressions.