How to Say “It Will Probably…” in Japanese | Using (short) + deshou（〜でしょう）

level1 (N5)

Introduction

Want to say things like:

  • “It will probably rain tomorrow.”
  • “That restaurant is probably cheap.”
  • “She’s likely Japanese, right?”

In Japanese, you can show guess, probability, or prediction with:

(short form) ＋ でしょう

Using this form lets you sound natural when you’re not 100 % sure but have a reasonable hunch. Let’s dive in!

1. Grammar Structure

Pattern

Verb / い-adj / な-adj / noun (short form) ＋ でしょう

EnglishJapanese
It will probably rain.明日あしたは雨あめが降ふるでしょう。
That movie is probably scary.その映画えいがは怖こわいでしょう。
He’s probably a student.彼かれは学生がくせいでしょう。

2. How to Form It

  1. Get the short (plain) form.
    • Verbs: 飲のむ／飲まない (to drink / not to drink)
    • い-adjectives: 高たかい／高くない (high / not high)
    • な-adjectives & nouns: 静しずか／静かじゃない (quiet / not quiet)
    • nouns: 先生せんせい／先生じゃない (a teacher / not a teacher)
  2. Add でしょう.
    • 飲むでしょう／飲まないでしょう
    • 高いでしょう／高くないでしょう
    • 静かでしょう／静かじゃないでしょう
    • 先生でしょう／先生じゃないでしょう

Point: With な-adjectives and nouns, just attach でしょう directly (don’t add な or だ).

3. Showing Certainty with Adverbs

Add words like たぶん “maybe”, きっと “surely”, or おそらく “likely” before the clause to fine-tune your confidence:

NuanceJapanese ExampleTranslation
90 % sureきっと彼かれは来くるでしょう。He’ll surely come.
60 % sure彼女かのじょはたぶん（≒おそらく）その事実じじつを知しっているでしょう。She probably knows that fact.

4. Asking Politely with でしょうか

でしょう can also be turned into a question format でしょうか to invite the listener’s guess or opinion.

  • お手洗てあらいはあそこでしょうか。= Is the restroom over there, I wonder?
  • あのレストランのピザはおいしいでしょうか。= I wonder if that restaurant’s pizza is good. (what do you think?)

Great when you need extra politeness with strangers or customers.

5. Negative Use

Negative guessing uses the negative short form + でしょう.

EnglishJapanese
There will be no rain tomorrow.明日あした、雨あめは降ふらないでしょう。
Takeshi probably won’t come today.たけしさんは今日きょうは来こないでしょう。

6. Example Sentences

  1. 今晩こんばんは寒さむいでしょう。
    It’ll probably be cold tonight.
  2. 体調たいちょうが良よくないですが、明日あしたにはなおるでしょう。
    I am not feeling well, but will be better tomorrow.
  3. 大阪おおさかは人ひとが多おおいので、静しずかじゃないでしょう。
    Osaka will not be quiet because there are many people.
  4. 来週らいしゅうのテストは難むずかしいでしょうか。
    I wonder if next week’s test will be hard.

7. Practice Time!

Convert each prompt into a でしょう sentence.

PromptAnswer
雨／降る雨が降るでしょう。
六月／暑くない六月は暑くないでしょう。
彼／学生彼は学生でしょう。
あの店のピザ／おいしい？あの店のピザはおいしいでしょうか。

8. Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Wrong✅ CorrectWhy?
東京とうきょうは静しずかだでしょう。東京は静かでしょう。Don’t add だ before でしょう with な-adjectives/nouns.
電車でんしゃは来きますでしょう。電車は来るでしょう。Always use short form, not ます-form.

9. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q
Can I use でしょう in casual talk?
A

Sure! In conversations with friends and other close people, there are more frank expressions. Simply say だろう instead of でしょう. Example: 彼は来るだろう。

Q
How is でしょう different from かもしれません?
A

「〜でしょう」 (or 「〜だろう」) indicates a higher degree of probability or likelihood than 「〜かもしれません」.

〜かもしれません: Used when there is a possibility, but you are less certain (e.g., around 30-60% certainty). It indicates “might,” “may,” or “there is a possibility.” Example: 明日、雨が降るかもしれません。(Ashita, ame ga furu kamo shiremasen.) = It might rain tomorrow. (Based on a slight chance, just a feeling, less certain).

〜でしょう / だろう: Used when you have a reasonable basis for your prediction or guess, feeling fairly confident (e.g., around 60-90% certainty, depending on context and adverbs used like きっと or たぶん). Example: 明日、雨が降るでしょう。(Ashita, ame ga furu deshou.) = It will probably rain tomorrow. (Based on weather forecast, strong clouds, etc.)

Q
Can I use 「〜でしょう」 to make a guess about something that happened in the past?
A

Yes, absolutely. You can use the past tense short form of the verb, い-adjective, な-adjective, or noun followed by 「でしょう」 (or 「だろう」) to make a prediction or guess about something that likely occurred in the past.

Example (Na-Adj): あの時、彼は大丈夫だったでしょうか。(Ano toki, kare wa daijoubudatta deshou ka.) = I wonder if he was okay at that time? (Uses the past short form of 大丈夫だ – 大丈夫だった)

Q
Why do I just attach 「でしょう」 directly to nouns and な-adjectives without adding 「だ」 or 「な」?
A

This is a specific grammatical rule for 「〜でしょう」 (and 「〜だろう」). Unlike other particles or structures that might require 「だ」 or 「な」 when following nouns or な-adjectives, 「でしょう」 (and 「だろう」) directly attach to the base form of the noun or な-adjective stem. Think of it as a set pattern: Noun + でしょう, Na-adjective stem + でしょう. The 「だ」 is simply dropped in this specific construction.

Q
When I use 「〜でしょうか」 to ask a question, is it just about politeness, or does it add another nuance?
A

Using 「〜でしょうか」 is primarily a polite way to ask a question, especially when you are unsure and seeking confirmation or information politely (as mentioned in the article’s section 4). However, it also adds a nuance of wondering or tentative inquiry. It softens the question compared to a direct V-ますか or V-るか question.

Q
Are there specific situations or types of communication (like news or weather) where 「〜でしょう」 is frequently used?
A

Yes. Because 「〜でしょう」 expresses prediction or estimation, it is very commonly used in:

Weather Forecasts: Predicting weather for the next day or future. (e.g., 明日は晴れるでしょう – Ashita wa hareru deshou = It will probably be sunny tomorrow.)

Formal Presentations/Speeches: When presenting projections or likely outcomes.

General Conversation: When making guesses about things you don’t know for sure (e.g., about other people, prices, situations).

10. Conclusion

Now you can:

  • ✅ Express guesses and predictions naturally
  • ✅ Adjust certainty with adverbs like たぶん / きっと
  • ✅ Ask polite questions with でしょうか

🎯 Try this: 明日、あなたの町の天気は？

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