Japanese Grammar: Meaning & Usage of “～でしょう” (Rising and Falling Intonation)

Sentence Pattern: Verb (Plain Form) + でしょう⤴

Sentence Pattern: Verb (Plain Form) + でdeしょshoうu⤴

Grammar Explanation: ～right? (rising intonation) Used to confirm something with the other person.

Ex.: 明あし日たパーティーに来くるでしょう⤴

Rm.: Ashita pati ni kuru desho⤴
En.: You’ll come to the party tomorrow, right?

Ex.: 雨あめが降ふったら行いかないでしょう⤴

Rm.: Ame ga futtara ikanai desho⤴
En.: If it rains, you won’t go, right?

Ex.: 昨きの日うは忙いそがしかったでしょう⤴

Rm.: Kinou wa isogashikatta desho⤴
En.: You were busy yesterday, right?

Ex.: 昨日きのうは平へい日じつだったから、遊ゆう園えん地ちは込こんでいなかったでしょう⤴

Rm.: Kinou wa heijitsu datta kara, yuuenchi wa konde inakatta desho⤴
En.: Since yesterday was a weekday, the amusement park wasn’t crowded, right?

Sentence Pattern: I-adjective (Plain Form) + でしょう⤴

Sentence Pattern: I-adjective (Plain Form) + でdeしょshoうu⤴

Grammar Explanation: ～right? (rising intonation) Used to confirm something with the other person.

Ex.: このケーキはおいしいでしょう⤴

Rm.: Kono keki wa oishii desho⤴
En.: This cake is delicious, isn’t it?

Ex.: 日に本ほんの物ぶっ価かは高たかいでしょう⤴

Rm.: Nihon no bukka wa takai desho⤴
En.: Things are expensive in Japan, aren’t they?

Ex.: わぁ！これ高たかかったでしょう⤴

Rm.: Wa! Kore takakatta desho⤴
En.: Wow! This must have been expensive, right?

Ex.: パナソニックのパソコンは安やすくなかったでしょう⤴

Rm.: Panasonikku no pasokon wa yasukunakatta desho⤴
En.: Panasonic computers weren’t cheap, were they?

Sentence Pattern: Na-adjective (Plain Form) + でしょう⤴

Sentence Pattern: Na-adjective (Plain Form) + でdeしょshoうu⤴

Grammar Explanation: ～right? (rising intonation) Used to confirm something with the other person.

Ex.: 彼かれの日に本ほん語ごは流りゅう暢ちょうでしょう⤴　

Rm.: Kare no Nihongo wa ryuuchou desho⤴
En.: His Japanese is fluent, isn’t it?

Ex.: このステーキは固かたくないでしょう⤴

Rm.: Kono suteeki wa katakunai desho⤴
En.: This steak isn’t tough, is it?

Ex.: 彼かれは素す敵てきだったでしょう⤴

Rm.: Kare wa suteki datta desho⤴
En.: He was wonderful, wasn’t he?

Ex.: 試し験けんは簡かん単たんじゃなかったでしょう⤴

Rm.: Shiken wa kantan ja nakatta desho⤴
En.: The exam wasn’t easy, was it?

Sentence Pattern: Noun (Plain Form) + でしょう⤴

Sentence Pattern: Noun (Plain Form) + でdeしょshoうu⤴

Grammar Explanation: ～right? (rising intonation) Used to confirm something with the other person.

Ex.: 彼かの女じょは日に本ほん語ごの先せん生せいでしょう⤴　

Rm.: Kanojo wa Nihongo no sensei desho⤴
En.: She’s a Japanese teacher, isn’t she?

Ex.: 彼かれは学がく生せいじゃないでしょう⤴

Rm.: Kare wa gakusei ja nai desho⤴
En.: He’s not a student, is he?

Ex.: 昨日きのうは祝しゅく日じつだったでしょう⤴

Rm.: Kinou wa shukujitsu datta desho⤴

En.: Yesterday was a public holiday, wasn’t it?

Ex.: あの国くには資し本ほん主しゅ義ぎじゃなかったでしょう⤴

Rm.: Ano kuni wa shihonshugi ja nakatta desho⤴
En.: That country wasn’t capitalist, was it?

Reference: Minna no Nihongo Lesson 21

Sentence Pattern: Verb (Plain Form) + でしょう⤵

Sentence Pattern: Verb (Plain Form) + でdeしょshoうu⤵

Grammar Explanation: ～probably (falling intonation) Expresses the speaker’s speculation, judgment, or confidence.

Ex.: 明あし日たは雨あめが降ふるでしょう⤵

Rm.: Ashita wa ame ga furu desho⤵
En.: It will probably rain tomorrow.

Ex.: たぶん彼かれは明あし日た来こないでしょう⤵

Rm.: Tabun kare wa ashita konai desho⤵
En.: He probably won’t come tomorrow.

Ex.: 昨日の雨あめで、桜さくらはもう散ちってしまったでしょう⤵

Rm.: Kinou no ame de, sakura wa mou chitte shimatta desho⤵
En.: The cherry blossoms have probably already fallen because of yesterday’s rain.

Ex.: あんなことがなければ、佐さ藤とうさんは辞やめなかったでしょう⤵

Rm.: Anna koto ga nakereba, Sato-san wa yamenakatta desho⤵
En.: If that hadn’t happened, Sato probably wouldn’t have quit.

Sentence Pattern: I-adjective (Plain Form) + でしょう⤵

Sentence Pattern: I-adjective (Plain Form) + でdeしょshoうu⤵

Grammar Explanation: ～probably (falling intonation) Expresses the speaker’s speculation, judgment, or confidence.

Ex.: 新あたらしいiPhoneはきっと高たかいでしょう⤵

Rm.: Atarashii iPhone wa kitto takai desho⤵
En.: The new iPhone will probably be expensive.

Ex.: 中ちゅう古このマンションでもそんなに安やすくないでしょう⤵

Rm.: Chuuko no manshon demo sonna ni yasukunai desho⤵
En.: Even a used condo probably won’t be that cheap.

Ex.: 人にん間げんが環かん境きょう破は壊かいしなければ、この辺あたりの自し然ぜんはもっと美うつくしかったでしょう⤵

Rm.: Ningen ga kankyou hakai shinakereba, kono atari no shizen wa motto utsukushikatta desho⤵
En.: If humans hadn’t destroyed the environment, nature around here would have been much more beautiful.

Ex.: プロが作つくってもこんなにおいしくなかったでしょう⤵

Rm.: Puro ga tsukuttemo konna ni oishikunakatta desho⤵
En.: Even a professional probably couldn’t have made it taste this good.

Sentence Pattern: Na-adjective (Plain Form) + でしょう⤵

Sentence Pattern: Na-adjective (Plain Form) + でdeしょshoうu⤵

Grammar Explanation: ～probably (falling intonation) Expresses the speaker’s speculation, judgment, or confidence.

Ex.: 今こん回かいのテストはたぶん簡かん単たんでしょう⤵　

Rm.: Konkai no tesuto wa tabun kantan desho⤵
En.: This test will probably be easy.

Ex.: 君きみが思おもっているほど簡かん単たんじゃないでしょう⤵

Rm.: Kimi ga omotte iru hodo kantan ja nai desho⤵
En.: It probably isn’t as easy as you think.

Ex.: 1ひと人り旅たびは大たい変へんだったでしょう⤵

Rm.: Hitoritabi wa taihen datta desho⤵
En.: Traveling alone must have been tough.

Ex.: 今こん回かいの決けつ断だんは容よう易いではなかったでしょう⤵

Rm.: Konkai no ketsudan wa youi dewa nakatta desho⤵
En.: This decision must not have been an easy one.

Sentence Pattern: Noun (Plain Form) + でしょう⤵

Sentence Pattern: Noun (Plain Form) + でdeしょshoうu⤵

Grammar Explanation: ～probably (falling intonation) Expresses the speaker’s speculation, judgment, or confidence.

Ex.: 彼かれはたぶん大だい学がく生せいでしょう⤵　

Rm.: Kare wa tabun daigakusei desho⤵
En.: He’s probably a college student.

Ex.: この指ゆび輪わは本ほん物ものの金きんじゃないでしょう⤵

Rm.: Kono yubiwa wa honmono no kin ja nai desho⤵
En.: This ring probably isn’t real gold.

Ex.: 飛ひ行こう機き事じ故こで亡なくならなければ、彼かれは今いま頃ごろ優ゆう秀しゅうな医い師しだったでしょう⤵

Rm.: Hikouki jiko de nakunaranakereba, kare wa imagoro yuushuu na ishi datta desho⤵
En.: If he hadn’t died in the plane crash, he would probably be an excellent doctor by now.

Ex.: もし彼かれが平へい和わな時じ代だいに生うまれていれば、革かく命めい家かじゃなかったでしょう⤵

Rm.: Moshi kare ga heiwa na jidai ni umarete ireba, kakumeika ja nakatta desho⤵
En.: If he had been born in a peaceful era, he probably wouldn’t have become a revolutionary.

Reference: Minna no Nihongo Lesson 32

Japanese Grammar (日本語文法)

Learn essential Japanese grammar for daily conversations with clear explanations, examples, illustrations, and English translations. Study Minna no Nihongo grammar for JLPT N4–N5.

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