vielleicht
German
Alternative forms
- vllt (internet slang)
Etymology
From Middle High German vil līchte (“very easily”), thus: “what could easily happen”. Compare the same in German Low German villicht, Dutch wellicht, Saterland Frisian fielicht.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fiˈlaɪ̯çt/, [fiˈlaɪ̯çt], [fɪ-] (standard)
- IPA(key): /flaɪ̯ç(t)/ (common speech)
audio (Austria) (file) Audio (file) - Rhymes: -aɪ̯çt
Adverb
vielleicht
- perhaps, maybe
- Vielleicht hat er einen Unfall gehabt.
- Maybe he’s had an accident.
- frequently replaces bitte (“please”) in polite questions
- Könnten Sie vielleicht das Fenster aufmachen?
- Could you perhaps open the window?
- (colloquial) expresses amazement or excitement, particularly at something negative
- Das is’ vielleicht ’ne Geldverschwendung da!
- Now, that’s some waste of money!
Usage notes
- The use of vielleicht in a polite question is often preferable because it invites the person asked to disagree, whereas bitte may sound insisting. This depends a lot on context and intonation, however.
Synonyms
- möglicherweise
- unter Umständen
- womöglich
Further reading
- “vielleicht” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “vielleicht” in Duden online