Ona chyba woli siedzieć osobno, nie przy naszym stole.

She probably prefers to sit separately, not at our table.

Breakdown of Ona chyba woli siedzieć osobno, nie przy naszym stole.

• ona: she
• stół: the table
• nie: not
• woleć: to prefer

Questions & Answers about Ona chyba woli siedzieć osobno, nie przy naszym stole.

What does the word bolded here — chyba — actually add to the sentence? How strong is it?

Chyba means “probably / I guess,” expressing a cautious inference, not certainty. It’s softer than stating a fact and suggests you’re reading cues rather than knowing.

• Rough strength: moderate probability (say, 60–70%).
• Close alternatives:
  • raczej = “rather, more likely” (often contrasts with another option).
  • pewnie = “surely/probably” (can sound stronger; colloquially often just “probably”).
  • może = “maybe/perhaps” (pure possibility, not an inference).

Why use woli and not something like preferuje?

Woli is from the very common verb woleć “to prefer,” perfect for everyday speech. Preferuje (from preferować) is understandable but more formal/loanword-y. In casual conversation, woleć sounds more natural.

Why is it woli siedzieć, with an infinitive? Could it be woli siedzi?

After woleć, Polish uses an infinitive to express what someone prefers to do: woli + infinitive (here, siedzieć). Saying woli siedzi is ungrammatical.

• siedzieć = “to be sitting” (state).
• You’d use siadać/usiąść for the act of sitting down (see next Q).