Vocabulary

多分(た・ぶん)

perhaps; probably

映画(えい・が)

movie

観る(み・る) ru-verb

to watch

彼(かれ)

he; boyfriend

学生(がく・せい)

student

それ

that

面白い(おも・し・ろい) i-adj

interesting

先生(せん・せい)

teacher

退屈(たい・くつ)

boredom

食堂(しょく・どう)

cafeteria

行く(い・く) u-verb

to go

雨(あめ)

rain

試合(し・あい)

match, game

中止(ちゅう・し)

cancellation

なる u-verb

to become

この

this （abbr. of これの）

映画(えい・が)

movie

～回(～かい)

counter for number of times

こと

event, matter

ある u-verb

to exist (inanimate)

あそこ

over there

代々木公園(よ・よ・ぎ・こう・えん)

Yoyogi park

もう

already

逃げる(に・げる) ru-verb

to escape; to run away

かもしれない is used to mean “maybe” or “possibly” and is less certain than the word 多分. It attaches to the end of a complete clause. For noun and na-adjective clauses, the declarative だ must be removed. It can also be written in kanji as かも知れない and you can treat it the same as a negative ru-verb (there is no positive equivalent) so the masu-form would become かもしれません. In casual speech, it can be abbreviated to just かも. There is also a very masculine version かもしれん, which is simply a different type of negative verb.

Examples

1. スミスさんは食堂に行ったかもしれません。
   Smith-san may have gone to the cafeteria.

2. 雨で試合は中止になるかもしれないね。
   The game may become canceled by rain, huh?

3. この映画は一回観たことあるかも！
   I might have already seen this movie once.

4. あそこが代々木公園かもしれない。
   That might be Yoyogi park over there.

5. もう逃げられないかもしれんぞ。
   Might not be able to escape anymore, you know.

Vocabulary

多分(た・ぶん)

perhaps; probably

明日(あした)

tomorrow

雨(あめ)

rain

学生(がく・せい)

student

これ

this

どこ

where

行く(い・く) u-verb

to go

休む(やす・む) u-verb

to rest

いただく u-verb

to receive; to eat; to drink (humble)

でしょう is used to express a level of some certainty and is close in meaning to 多分. Just like ～です／～ます, it must come at the end of a complete sentence. It does not have any other conjugations. You can also replace ～ですか with ～でしょうか to make the question sound slightly more polite and less assuming by adding a slight level of uncertainty.

Examples

1. 明日も雨でしょう。
   Probably rain tomorrow too.

2. 学生さんでしょうか。
   Are (you) student?

3. これからどこへ行くんでしょうか？
   Where (are you) going from here?

If you want to sound really, really polite, you can even add ～でしょうか to the end of a ～ます ending.

• 休ませていただけますでしょうか。
  May I receive the favor of resting, possibly?

Vocabulary

遅刻(ち・こく)

tardiness

する exception

to do

時間(じ・かん)

time

ある u-verb

to exist (inanimate)

言う(い・う) u-verb

to say

これ

this

食べる(た・べる) ru-verb

to eat

行く(い・く) u-verb

to go

掃除(そう・じ)

cleaning

手伝う(て・つだ・う) u-verb

to help, to assist

くれる ru-verb

to give

そう

(things are) that way

どこ

where

もう

already

寝る(ね・る) ru-verb

to sleep

家(1) うち; 2) いえ)

one’s own home;
house

帰る(かえ・る) u-verb

to go home

The casual equivalent of でしょう is surprisingly enough でしょう. However, when you are speaking in a polite manner, the でしょう is enunciated flatly while in casual speech, it has a rising intonation and can be shortened to でしょ. In addition, since people tend to be more assertive in casual situations, the casual version has a much stronger flavor often sounding more like, “See, I told you so!”

Example 1

Ａ

あっ！遅刻しちゃう！

Ah! We’re going to be late!

Ｂ

だから、時間がないって言ったでしょう！

That’s why I told you there was no time!

Example 2

Ａ

これから食べに行くんでしょ。

You’re going to eat from now aren’t you?

Ｂ

だったら？

So what if I am?

Example 3

Ａ

掃除、手伝ってくれるでしょう。

You’re going to help me clean, right?

Ｂ

え？そうなの？

Huh? Is that so?

だろう means essentially the same thing as でしょう except that it sounds more masculine and is used mostly by males.

Example 4

Ａ

アリスはどこだ？

Where is Alice?

Ｂ

もう寝ているだろう。

Probably sleeping already.

Example 5

Ａ

もう家に帰るんだろう。

You’re going home already, right?

Ｂ

そうよ。

That’s right.