{"id":270,"date":"2017-10-16T14:15:49","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T18:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guidetojapanese.org\/learn\/?p=270"},"modified":"2017-10-17T14:08:52","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T18:08:52","slug":"various-degrees-of-certainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guidetojapanese.org\/learn\/grammar\/certainty","title":{"rendered":"Various degrees of certainty"},"content":{"rendered":"

In general, Japanese people don’t assert themselves of something unless they are absolutely sure that it is correct. This accounts for the incredibly frequent use of \u300c\uff5e\u3068\u601d\u3046<\/span>\u300d and the various grammatical expressions used to express specific levels of certainty. We will go over these expressions starting from the less certain to the most certain.<\/p>\n

Using \u300c\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044\u300d to express uncertainty<\/h2>\n

Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. \u591a\u5206 \u3010\u305f\u30fb\u3076\u3093\u3011 – perhaps; probably<\/li>\n
  2. \u6620\u753b \u3010\u3048\u3044\u30fb\u304c\u3011 – movie<\/li>\n
  3. \u89b3\u308b \u3010\u307f\u30fb\u308b\u3011 (ru-verb) – to watch<\/li>\n
  4. \u5f7c \u3010\u304b\u308c\u3011 – he; boyfriend<\/li>\n
  5. \u5b66\u751f \u3010\u304c\u304f\u30fb\u305b\u3044\u3011 – student<\/li>\n
  6. \u305d\u308c – that<\/li>\n
  7. \u9762\u767d\u3044 \u3010\u304a\u3082\u30fb\u3057\u30fb\u308d\u3044\u3011 (i-adj) – interesting<\/li>\n
  8. \u5148\u751f \u3010\u305b\u3093\u30fb\u305b\u3044\u3011 – teacher<\/li>\n
  9. \u9000\u5c48 \u3010\u305f\u3044\u30fb\u304f\u3064\u3011 – boredom<\/li>\n
  10. \u98df\u5802 \u3010\u3057\u3087\u304f\u30fb\u3069\u3046\u3011 – cafeteria<\/li>\n
  11. \u884c\u304f \u3010\u3044\u30fb\u304f\u3011 (u-verb) – to go<\/li>\n
  12. \u96e8 \u3010\u3042\u3081\u3011 – rain<\/li>\n
  13. \u8a66\u5408 \u3010\u3057\u30fb\u3042\u3044\u3011 – match, game<\/li>\n
  14. \u4e2d\u6b62 \u3010\u3061\u3085\u3046\u30fb\u3057\u3011 – cancellation<\/li>\n
  15. \u306a\u308b (u-verb) – to become<\/li>\n
  16. \u3053\u306e – this \uff08abbr. of \u3053\u308c\u306e\uff09<\/li>\n
  17. \u6620\u753b \u3010\u3048\u3044\u30fb\u304c\u3011 – movie<\/li>\n
  18. \uff5e\u56de \u3010\uff5e\u304b\u3044\u3011 – counter for number of times<\/li>\n
  19. \u3053\u3068 – event, matter<\/li>\n
  20. \u3042\u308b (u-verb) – to exist (inanimate)<\/li>\n
  21. \u3042\u305d\u3053 – over there<\/li>\n
  22. \u4ee3\u3005\u6728\u516c\u5712 \u3010\u3088\u30fb\u3088\u30fb\u304e\u30fb\u3053\u3046\u30fb\u3048\u3093\u3011 – Yoyogi park<\/li>\n
  23. \u3082\u3046 – already<\/li>\n
  24. \u9003\u3052\u308b \u3010\u306b\u30fb\u3052\u308b\u3011 (ru-verb) – to escape; to run away<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u300c\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044\u300d is used to mean “maybe” or “possibly” and is less certain than the word \u300c\u591a\u5206<\/span>\u300d. It attaches to the end of a complete clause. For noun and na-adjective clauses, the declarative \u300c\u3060\u300d must be removed. It can also be written in kanji as \u300c\u304b\u3082\u77e5\u308c\u306a\u3044\u300d and you can treat it the same as a negative ru-verb (there is no positive equivalent) so the masu-form would become \u300c\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u307e\u305b\u3093\u300d. In casual speech, it can be abbreviated to just \u300c\u304b\u3082\u300d. There is also a very masculine version \u300c\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u3093\u300d, which is simply a different type of negative verb.<\/p>\n

    \nExpressing uncertainty with \u300c\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044\u300d<\/span><\/p>\n
      \n
    • Simply attach \u300c\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044\u300d or \u300c\u304b\u3082\u77e5\u308c\u306a\u3044\u300d to the clause
      \nExamples<\/p>\n
        \n
      1. \u6620\u753b<\/span>\u3092\u89b3\u305f<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044<\/em>\n<\/li>\n
      2. \u5f7c<\/span>\u306f\u5b66\u751f<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044<\/em>\n<\/li>\n
      3. \u305d\u308c<\/span>\u306f\u9762\u767d\u3044<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044<\/em>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • Noun and na-adjective clauses must not<\/strong> use the declarative \u300c\u3060\u300d
          \nExamples<\/p>\n
            \n
          1. \u5148\u751f<\/span>\u3060<\/strike><\/em>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044 \u2192 \u5148\u751f<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044\n<\/li>\n
          2. \u9000\u5c48<\/span>\u3060<\/strike><\/em>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044 \u2192 \u9000\u5c48<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • It can be abbreviated to just \u300c\u304b\u3082\u300d in casual speech
              \nExample<\/p>\n
                \n
              1. \u9762\u767d\u3044<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044<\/strike><\/em> \u2192 \u9762\u767d\u3044<\/span>\u304b\u3082<\/em>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

                Examples<\/h3>\n
                  \n
                1. \u30b9\u30df\u30b9\u3055\u3093\u306f\u98df\u5802<\/span>\u306b\u884c\u3063\u305f<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/em>\u3002
                  \nSmith-san may have gone to the cafeteria.\n<\/li>\n
                2. \u96e8<\/span>\u3067\u8a66\u5408<\/span>\u306f\u4e2d\u6b62<\/span>\u306b\u306a\u308b<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044<\/em>\u306d\u3002
                  \nThe game may become canceled by rain, huh?\n<\/li>\n
                3. \u3053\u306e<\/span>\u6620\u753b<\/span>\u306f\u4e00\u56de<\/span>\u89b3\u305f<\/span>\u3053\u3068<\/span>\u3042\u308b<\/span>\u304b\u3082<\/em>\uff01
                  \nI might have already seen this movie once.\n<\/li>\n
                4. \u3042\u305d\u3053<\/span>\u304c\u4ee3\u3005\u6728<\/span>\u516c\u5712<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u306a\u3044<\/em>\u3002
                  \nThat might be Yoyogi park over there.\n<\/li>\n
                5. \u3082\u3046<\/span>\u9003\u3052\u3089\u308c\u306a\u3044<\/span>\u304b\u3082\u3057\u308c\u3093<\/em>\u305e\u3002
                  \nMight not be able to escape anymore, you know.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Using \u300c\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u300d to express a fair amount of certainty (polite)<\/h2>\n

                  Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
                    \n
                  1. \u591a\u5206 \u3010\u305f\u30fb\u3076\u3093\u3011 – perhaps; probably<\/li>\n
                  2. \u660e\u65e5 \u3010\u3042\u3057\u305f\u3011 – tomorrow<\/li>\n
                  3. \u96e8 \u3010\u3042\u3081\u3011 – rain<\/li>\n
                  4. \u5b66\u751f \u3010\u304c\u304f\u30fb\u305b\u3044\u3011 – student<\/li>\n
                  5. \u3053\u308c – this<\/li>\n
                  6. \u3069\u3053 – where<\/li>\n
                  7. \u884c\u304f \u3010\u3044\u30fb\u304f\u3011 (u-verb) – to go<\/li>\n
                  8. \u4f11\u3080 \u3010\u3084\u3059\u30fb\u3080\u3011 (u-verb) – to rest<\/li>\n
                  9. \u3044\u305f\u3060\u304f (u-verb) – to receive; to eat; to drink (humble)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    \u300c\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u300d is used to express a level of some certainty and is close in meaning to \u300c\u591a\u5206<\/span>\u300d. Just like \u300c\uff5e\u3067\u3059\uff0f\uff5e\u307e\u3059\u300d, it must come at the end of a complete sentence. It does not have any other conjugations. You can also replace \u300c\uff5e\u3067\u3059\u304b\u300d with \u300c\uff5e\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b\u300d to make the question sound slightly more polite and less assuming by adding a slight level of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

                    Examples<\/h3>\n
                      \n
                    1. \u660e\u65e5<\/span>\u3082\u96e8<\/span>\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/em>\u3002
                      \nProbably rain tomorrow too.\n<\/li>\n
                    2. \u5b66\u751f<\/span>\u3055\u3093\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/em>\u304b\u3002
                      \nAre (you) student?\n<\/li>\n
                    3. \u3053\u308c\u304b\u3089<\/span>\u3069\u3053<\/span>\u3078\u884c\u304f<\/span>\u3093\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/em>\u304b\uff1f
                      \nWhere (are you) going from here?\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      If you want to sound really, really polite, you can even add \u300c\uff5e\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b\u300d to the end of a \u300c\uff5e\u307e\u3059\u300d ending.<\/p>\n