Expressing Likelihood with Taitaa
To express that something is likely to happen or seems to be true based on your observation, use the modal verb taitaa. It translates closely to "probably", "is likely to", or "seems to".
Like other auxiliary verbs, taitaa conjugates to match the subject, while the main action verb appears in its basic dictionary form (the 1st infinitive).
| The stock market will probably rise today. | Pörssi taitaa nousta tänään. |
| The value of this stock seems to be falling. | Tämän osakkeen arvo taitaa pudota. |
Expressing Uncertainty and Wondering with Mahtaa
The verb mahtaa is used to express that something "might" be the case, or to ponder a situation. It is especially common in questions, where it translates to "I wonder if..." or "What might...".
When forming a yes/no question with mahtaa, attach the question particle -ko/-kö directly to the conjugated verb (for example, mahtaako).
| I wonder if the investor will buy these shares? | Mahtaako sijoittaja ostaa nämä osakkeet? |
| The economic growth might be slow. | Talouden kasvu mahtaa olla hidasta. |
Weighing Risks and Returns
These modal verbs are incredibly useful when making educated guesses about the economy (talous), risks (riski), and returns (tuotto). Both verbs follow standard conjugation rules for all persons, such as he mahtavat (they might).
| In this company, the risk seems to be high, but the return is good. | Tässä yrityksessä riski taitaa olla suuri, mutta tuotto on hyvä. |
| The return might be high, but a loss is not impossible either. | Tuotto mahtaa olla suuri, mutta tappiokaan ei ole mahdoton. |
| What might they think about the risks of the stock market? | Mitä he mahtavat ajatella pörssin riskeistä? |
