KANAKUMA

JLPT N5 · Copulas and sentence types

〜でしょう／だろう

Expresses a supposition or asks for confirmation

Meaning

でしょう conveys polite ‘probably’, while だろう is its plain and more direct counterpart.

Formation

  1. Plain verb or i-adjective + でしょう／だろう: 来るでしょう, 寒いだろう.
  2. After a noun or na-adjective: 雨でしょう／雨だろう, 静かでしょう／静かだろう.
  3. For the past, change the preceding form: 来たでしょう, 学生だっただろう.

When to use it

Prediction or inference
Expresses a fairly confident assumption based on the situation or knowledge.
Expected agreement
With rising intonation, means ‘isn't that so?’ or ‘right?’.

Examples

16 sentences

  • 明日あしたは雨あめでしょう

    It will probably rain tomorrow.

  • この問題もんだいは難しいむずかしいでしょう

    This problem will probably be difficult.

  • 田中たなかさんも来るくるでしょう

    Mr. Tanaka will probably come too.

  • あの人ひとは先生せんせいだろう

    That person is probably a teacher.

  • 今日きょうは寒いさむいだろう

    It is probably cold today.

  • もうすぐ電車でんしゃが来るくるだろう

    The train will probably come soon.

  • 明日あしたの朝あさは寒いさむいでしょう

    It will probably be cold tomorrow morning.

  • 彼かれはもう家いえに着いついただろう

    He has probably arrived home already.

8 more examples

  • ほら、言っいったでしょう

    See? I told you so.

  • 日曜日にちようびは店みせが混むこむでしょう

    The shop will probably be crowded on Sunday.

  • あの人ひとは新しいあたらしい先生せんせいだろう

    That person is probably the new teacher.

  • 今日きょうは雨あめは降らふらないでしょう

    It probably will not rain today.

  • 妹いもうとも一緒いっしょに来るくるでしょう

    My younger sister will probably come along too.

  • 昨日きのうの試験しけんは難しかったむずかしかったでしょう

    Yesterday's exam was hard, wasn't it?

  • この道みちのほうが近いちかいだろう

    This route is probably shorter.

  • この部屋へやなら静かしずかでしょう

    This room should be quiet.

Important notes

  • In conversation, でしょう is often shortened to でしょ and だろう to だろ.
  • だろう can sound quite confident and direct; でしょう is safer in neutral polite speech.

Common mistakes

  • Do not add だ before でしょう: use 雨でしょう, not 雨だでしょう.
  • Do not treat the form as pure uncertainty; the speaker normally considers the assumption well founded.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

  1. ほら、言っいったでしょう
  2. 妹いもうとも一緒いっしょに来るくるでしょう
  3. この部屋へやなら静かしずかでしょう

Similar grammar

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