Also means
perhaps
Usage Note
etwa estimates a quantity ('roughly, about'), as in etwa zehn Leute. As a modal particle in a question it expresses surprise or worry, as in Bist du etwa krank? ('You're not ill, are you?'). Don't confuse it with the noun etwas ('something').
Examples
"Es dauert etwa zwei Stunden."
Natural Translation
It takes about two hours.
Literal Translation
It takes about two hours.
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