laikam / droši vien / varbūt

Probably and Maybe

Level 4

To make a guess, add laikam or droši vien (probably) or varbūt (maybe). Viņš laikam ir mājās. (He is probably at home.)

How It Works

1. From sure to unsure.

  • noteikti: certainly. Viņš noteikti nāks. (He will certainly come.)
  • droši vien: very likely, probably. Rīt droši vien līs. (It will probably rain tomorrow.)
  • laikam: probably, I think. Viņš laikam ir mājās. (He is probably at home.)
  • varbūt: maybe, perhaps. Varbūt viņa ir aizmirsusi. (Maybe she has forgotten.)

2. Laikam softens what you say. It often makes a plan or opinion sound less direct: Es laikam iešu. (I think I'll go.) Laikam gan makes the guess stronger: "most likely".

3. Droši vien is two words. Droši alone means safely or confidently: Brauc droši! (Drive safely!) Only the pair droši vien means probably.

4. Varbūt. It often starts the sentence, and it can be a whole answer: Varbūt. (Maybe.) In a question it makes a suggestion: Varbūt satiksimies rīt? (Shall we meet tomorrow, maybe?)

5. No commas. In standard Latvian these words are not set off with commas, unlike comment words such as protams (see commas with comment words). Write Šodien laikam līs, not Šodien, laikam, līs.

6. Other ways to guess. Jābūt draws a conclusion: Viņam jābūt mājās (He must be at home). Varētu says something might be so.

Examples (6)

  1. Viņš laikam ir mājās.

    He is probably at home.

    Word by Word: He probably is at-home.

  2. Rīt droši vien līs.

    It will probably rain tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow probably will-rain.

  3. Varbūt satiksimies rīt?

    Shall we meet tomorrow, maybe?

    Word by Word: Maybe we-will-meet tomorrow?

    In a question, varbūt makes a friendly suggestion.

  4. Es laikam nepaspēšu.

    I probably won't make it in time.

    Word by Word: I probably will-not-make-it.

  5. Varbūt viņa ir aizmirsusi.

    Maybe she has forgotten.

    Word by Word: Maybe she has forgotten.

  6. Tu droši vien esi noguris.

    You must be tired.

    Word by Word: You probably are tired.

    English often says "must be" for this kind of guess.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting commas around laikam, droši vien or varbūt.

    Šodien, laikam, līs.
    Šodien laikam līs.

    In standard Latvian these words are not set off with commas. They are part of the sentence, unlike comment words such as protams.

  • Using droši alone to mean probably.

    Viņš droši ir mājās.
    Viņš droši vien ir mājās.

    Droši means safely or confidently. To say probably, you need both words: droši vien.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

laikam / droši vien / varbūtLevel 4Probably and Maybe

Learn This First

Laikam and varbūt express probability.

Words in This Pattern

laikamdroši vienvarbūt