womöglich
possibly
Expresses a possibility or assumption; perhaps, maybe. It is used to express uncertainty about an event or state.
EXAMPLE
Wenn er nicht anruft, hat er womöglich den Zug verpasst.
If he doesn't call, he possibly missed the train.
womöglich
possibly
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
'Womöglich' (possibly) is made up of the question word 'wo' (where) and the adjective 'möglich' (possible). It expresses the question of where something might lie within the range of possibilities.
EXAMPLE
Er ist womöglich schon nach Hause gegangen.
He has possibly already gone home.
Sentence position
'Womöglich' (possibly) can stand in position 1, in which case the verb follows directly after it. But it can also stand after the finite verb in the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Womöglich hat sie es einfach vergessen.
Possibly, she simply forgot it.
Style and nuance
'Womöglich' (possibly) is often used to speculate about a possibility that contains a certain amount of surprise or concern. It often sounds somewhat more thoughtful than other expressions of possibility.
EXAMPLE
Ist er womöglich krank?
Could he possibly be sick?
Compare with
womöglich vs wohl
probably / well
„Wohl“ and „womöglich“ can both express uncertainty. „Wohl“ presents a conclusion as more likely; „womöglich“ introduces a possibility without marking it as expected to the same extent.
womöglich
Bei so dichtem Verkehr verspätet sich Paul womöglich wieder.
With traffic this heavy, Paul may possibly be late again.
wohl
Nach der letzten Nachricht verspätet sich Paul wohl wieder.
After the latest message, Paul will probably be late again.
In real life
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