「〜だろう」- Speculation or Possibility

Explanation

「〜だろう」 is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express speculation or possibility, often translated as "probably" or "might be." It is used to convey the speaker's uncertain judgment or assumption about something.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Noun + だろう	Noun + だろう	Used to express speculation about a noun.
い-Adjective + だろう	い-Adjective + だろう	Used to express speculation about the state of an adjective.
な-Adjective + だろう	な-Adjective + だろう	Used to express speculation about the state of an adjective.
Verb Plain Form + だろう	Verb Plain Form + だろう	Used to express speculation about an action or state.

Basic Usage

Connection

• Noun + だろう
• い-Adjective + だろう
• な-Adjective + だろう
• Verb Plain Form + だろう

Meaning

• Expresses speculation or possibility: "probably," "might be."

Examples

• 彼かれは学生がくせいだろう。
• Kare wa gakusei darou.
• He is probably a student.
  

• 明日あしたは雨あめが降ふるだろう。
• Ashita wa ame ga furu darou.
• It will probably rain tomorrow.
  

• このこの映画えいがは面白おもしろいだろう。
• Kono eiga wa omoshiroi darou.
• This movie is probably interesting.
  

• 彼女かのじょは忙いそがしいだろう。
• Kanojo wa isogashii darou.
• She is probably busy.
  

Comparison and Differences

Although both 「〜だろう」 and 「〜かもしれない」 express speculation, they differ in tone and certainty.

Grammar Point	Tone	Certainty
〜だろう	More assertive	Higher certainty in speculation
〜かもしれない	More uncertain	Lower certainty in speculation

Examples:

• 彼かれは学生がくせいだろう。
• Kare wa gakusei darou.
• He is probably a student.
  

• 彼かれは学生がくせいかもしれない。
• Kare wa gakusei kamoshirenai.
• He might be a student.
  

Deep Dive

「〜だろう」 is primarily used to express the speaker's speculation or judgment about something. It is commonly used in everyday conversations and carries a relatively assertive tone, though it still implies some level of uncertainty. Compared to 「〜かもしれない」, 「〜だろう」 conveys a higher degree of certainty and is suitable for expressing more confident assumptions.

Summary

「〜だろう」 is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express speculation or possibility. It is frequently used in daily conversations to convey uncertain judgments. Mastering this structure will help you express assumptions and possibilities more naturally in Japanese communication.