Usually the Japanese don't claim something unless they are absolutely sure that it is correct. In this article, we are going to see some expressions that show how the Japanese do everything to say nothing without being sure of something. Japanese words help a lot in this regard, but this is all a matter of culture.
Like punctuality, the Japanese want to be responsible in their words and don't want to promise something where unforeseen or uncertainty can get in the way. They also don't want to give opinions that are sure to jeopardize the listener's decision.
The Japanese language loves ambiguity. Declarative sentences are not confident, but arrogant. Avoid making sure or asserting something that you are not 100% confident that it is correct. If you are confident you can say a nice もちろん.
Words like "maybe, it seems, could be, probably, possibly, I don't know or I think" are also very helpful when trying to avoid topics and conversations.
Table of Content
Words that express uncertainty
A very common word to answer questions without certainty is the word tabun (多分) which means "maybe and probably", and is often placed in the middle of sentences. The word is written with ideograms that also express a large quantity, which shows more certainty than uncertainty. This word can be used when you are not sure about something (maybe) or when you do not know if the circumstances will allow (probably).
Another popular word is kamoshirenai [かも知れない] or kamoshiremasen (formal). This function expresses that something "may" happen, but there is no certainty. The word can be reduced to kamo [かも] in sentences, but it is quite informal. It can be literally translated as "maybe, may, might be or possibly."
Even when the Japanese express their own opinion about something, they often use the expression to omou [...と思う] or omoimasu [思います] which means I think, or I feel. The Japanese avoid as much as possible having their opinions interfere with the lives of others.
Other words that express maybe or probably are:
| 若しかしたら | moshikashitara | maybe, by chance |
| 若しかして | moshikashite | maybe, possibly, could it be that, by chance, if I'm not mistaken |
| 事にすると | koto ni suru to | maybe, possibly |
| かもね | kamone | maybe, could be |
| 事によると | koto ni yoru to | maybe, possibly |
| ひょっとすると | hyottosuruto | maybe; possibly |
| 恐らく | osoraku | maybe, probably, dare I say |
| 若しや | moshiya | perhaps, possibly, by some chance, by some possibility |
| 蓋し | kedashi | maybe, probably |
Words that express some certainty
There are words that are used to express a certain level of certainty, close to tabun (多分). Some phrases even require both words to express better. Let's talk about 2 endings that are darou and deshou.
Deshou (でしょう) can be literally translated as "seems, probably, I think, I wonder, I suppose and I hope". This expression can also be used as a question "don't you agree?", "don't you think?", don't you?".
Darou (だろう) means the same thing as (でしょう), except it sounds more masculine and is mostly used by men. Both words can sound informal depending on the way you say it, especially if you shorten it when pronouncing it.
Unlike kamoshirenai, darou and deshou cannot be used when talking about one's actions like "I think I'll go tomorrow". Kamoshirenai is used to express a sense of probability or doubt, it has more uncertainty than give and deshou.
The word deshou is often used in weather forecasts. The Japanese do not say "it will rain tomorrow," but rather "it will probably rain tomorrow."
example sentences
Let's see some examples below:
| Japanese | Romaji | Portuguese |
| トムは多分眠っている。 | Tomu wa tabun nemutte iru | Tom is probably sleeping. |
| 多分彼女は来るでしょう。 | Tabun kanojo wa kurudeshou. | Maybe she will. |
| 多分君が正しいのだろう。 | Tabun kimi ga tadashī nodarou. | Perhaps you are right. |
| その食べ物はおいしいでしょう。 | Sono tabemono wa oishīdeshou. | This food looks delicious (I think) |
| 明日は晴れでしょう。 | Ashita wa haredeshou. | Tomorrow will probably be sunny |
| 君もパーティに行くだろう？ | Kimi mo pāti ni ikudarou? | You're going to the party aren't you? (Am I right?) |
| 何か悪いことが彼にふりかかるかも知れない。 | Something bad might befall him. | Something bad can happen to him |
| 私は間違ったのかも知れない。 | I may have been wrong. | I may have made a mistake. |
| 彼の言ったことは本当かも知れない。 | His words may be true after all. | What he said may be true. |