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Vague Expressions ⑦: How to Use 「〜そうです」 (Appearance and Hearsay)
04/17/2026
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Vague Expressions ⑥: How to Use 「〜でしょう」
Kotoba Drill Editor
Today's theme
「〜でしょう」 is used when you want to make a guess about something.
You are not stating it as a fact, but you do have some reason for saying it.
You often hear it in weather forecasts, as in 「明日は晴れでしょう」 (It will probably be sunny tomorrow).
In daily conversation, it is also used to check something or give an opinion in a softer way.
Today, we learn when to use it and what to contrast it with through examples.
「〜でしょう」 is evidence-based guesswork
「〜でしょう」 is an expression used to
make a soft guess based on some evidence such as reasons, the situation, or experience.
For example:
- because the sky is cloudy, you say 「雨が降るでしょう」 (It will probably rain)
- after looking at him, you say 「彼は疲れているでしょう」 (He is probably tired)
- from past experience, you predict 「このテストは難しいでしょう」 (This test will probably be difficult)
It fits scenes like these.
| Wording | How it sounds |
|---|---|
| 「〜です。」 | A direct statement of fact. |
| 「〜でしょう。」 | A guess with some basis, but not a firm conclusion. |
It is useful when you feel, "I do not want to say it too strongly, but I more or less know."
Difference from 「〜かもしれません」
Both forms express a guess, but the strength of the evidence is different.
- 「〜でしょう」: a guess with evidence and fairly strong confidence
- 「〜かもしれません」: a possibility with less evidence
Compare them in examples.
| Situation | 「〜でしょう」 | 「〜かもしれません」 |
|---|---|---|
| Looking at a cloudy sky | 「雨が降るでしょう。」 (almost certain) | 「雨が降るかもしれません。」 (a possibility) |
| Watching his behavior | 「彼は知っているでしょう。」 (fairly sure) | 「彼は知っているかもしれません。」 (less certain) |
| Talking about a difficult exam | 「難しいでしょう。」 (based on experience) | 「難しいかもしれません。」 (not really sure) |
It helps to remember that 「でしょう」 shows stronger confidence, while 「かもしれません」 leaves the possibility wider open.
Difference from 「〜らしいです」
「〜らしいです」 and 「〜でしょう」 look similar, but the source of the information is different.
- 「〜らしいです」: used from indirect information, such as something you heard from someone or read in an article
- 「〜でしょう」: used from your own inference, based on the situation, experience, or knowledge
Examples:
- a friend tells you 「田中さんが来ない」 (Tanaka is not coming) -> 「田中さんは来ないらしいです。」
- you know Tanaka is not feeling well and think about it yourself -> 「田中さんは来ないでしょう。」
It becomes easier to choose the right form if you focus on where the information came from and how you reached it.
Sentence form and how to build it
「〜でしょう」 can be combined with nouns, adjectives, and verbs.
| Sentence type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + 「でしょう」 | 「彼は学生でしょう。」 (He is probably a student.) |
| i-adjective | i-adjective + 「でしょう」 | 「このテストは難しいでしょう。」 (This test will probably be difficult.) |
| na-adjective | na-adjective stem + 「でしょう」 | 「彼女は元気でしょう。」 (She is probably well.) |
| Verb | Plain form + 「でしょう」 | 「明日、来るでしょう。」 (They will probably come tomorrow.) |
For a 「な形容詞」, remove the 「な」 before adding the pattern.
Example: 「元気な」 -> 「元気でしょう」
Scene ①: when making a guess
Use it to express a guess based on what you see or on your experience.
- The sky outside is getting dark.
-> 「今夜は雨が降るでしょう。」 (It will probably rain tonight.) - He practices late every night.
-> 「きっと試合で活躍するでしょう。」 (He will probably do well in the match.) - This restaurant is always full.
-> 「今日も混んでいるでしょう。」 (It is probably crowded today too.)
In this way, it is used when you judge something from the situation you see or the information you know.
Scene ②: when asking for confirmation (「〜でしょう？」)
If you use rising intonation (↑) at the end, it can mean a check like "right?"
- 「これ、あなたの荷物でしょう？」 (This is your bag, right?)
- 「もう読んだでしょう？」 (You already read it, right?)
- 「難しいでしょう？」 (It is difficult, isn't it?)
Here, 「〜でしょう？」 can sound a little stronger than 「〜ですよね？」.
It can carry the nuance of asking for agreement or pressing for confirmation.
| Wording | Nuance |
|---|---|
| 「〜ですね？」 | a gentle check |
| 「〜でしょう？」 | a slightly stronger check or reminder |
In casual conversation with friends, the shorter form 「〜でしょ？」 is also very common.
Caution: 「〜でしょう」 is not a firm statement
Because 「〜でしょう」 is a guess, it is not used in situations where you need to state something clearly as a fact.
For example:
- 「会議は3時からです。」 (The meeting starts at 3:00.)
- ✗ 「会議は3時からでしょう。」 (This sounds like you have not confirmed it.)
Also, if you use 「〜でしょう？」 too often, the other person may feel that you are pressing them. In daily conversation, 「〜ですね？」 often sounds softer for checking.
Where 「〜でしょう」 fits and does not fit
| Fits | Does not fit |
|---|---|
| making a guess from the situation | stating a confirmed fact |
| talking about the weather or how a situation will likely develop | announcing an official decision or conclusion |
| giving an opinion in a soft way | scenes where steps or instructions must be clear |
| asking for confirmation or agreement with rising intonation | reports or contracts where a firm statement is required |
Rephrasing options (kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））＋ IPA)
Choose the expression by how strong your confidence is.
| Rephrase type | Goal | Example | Reading (kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））) | Pronunciation (IPA) | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence-based guess | Express a guess with confidence | 「明日は晴れるでしょう。」 (It will probably be sunny tomorrow.) | （あした は はれる で しょう） | [aɕita wa haɾeɾɯ de̞ɕoː] | A guess based on the situation |
| Broad possibility | Mention a possibility when evidence is weak | 「明日は晴れるかもしれません。」 (It might be sunny tomorrow.) | （あした は はれる かも しれません） | [aɕita wa haɾeɾɯ kamo̞ ɕiɾe̞masẽɴ] | Shows possibility only |
| Hearsay-based inference | Softly share something you heard | 「明日は晴れるらしいです。」 (I hear it will be sunny tomorrow.) | （あした は はれる らしい です） | [aɕita wa haɾeɾɯ ɾaɕi de̞sɯ] | Shows that the information is indirect |
| Observation-based inference | Softly share what you observed | 「彼は疲れているようです。」 (He seems tired.) | （かれ は つかれて いる よう です） | [kaɾe wa tsɯkaɾe̞te̞ iɾɯ joː de̞sɯ] | Shows direct observation |
| Direct fact statement | State the conclusion clearly | 「明日は晴れです。」 (Tomorrow is sunny.) | （あした は はれ です） | [aɕita wa haɾe de̞sɯ] | Tells a confirmed fact |
Note
IPA is approximate. Vowel length and the sound of 「ん」 vary by speaker. Check together with kana.
Practical switching examples (daily life and work｜kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））＋ IPA)
If you match the wording to the scene, your message becomes easier to understand.
| Scene | Intention | Better wording | Reading (kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））) | Pronunciation (IPA) | Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily life (weather) | Make a guess from the situation | 「空が曇っているので、雨が降るでしょう。」 (The sky is cloudy, so it will probably rain.) | （そら が くもって いる ので あめ が ふる で しょう） | [so̞ɾa ɡa kɯmo̞tte̞ iɾɯ no̞de̞ ame̞ ɡa ɸɯɾɯ de̞ɕoː] | A guess based on your own judgment |
| Daily life (talking about a friend) | Pass on what you heard | 「田中さんは明日来ないらしいです。」 (I hear Tanaka is not coming tomorrow.) | （たなかさん は あした こない らしい です） | [tanakaɕaɴ wa aɕita ko̞nai ɾaɕi de̞sɯ] | Use 「らしいです」 for indirect information |
| School (talking about a test) | Give a confident guess | 「このテストは難しいでしょう。」 (This test will probably be difficult.) | （この テスト は むずかしい で しょう） | [ko̞no̞ te̞sɯto̞ wa mɯdzɯkaɕi de̞ɕoː] | A guess based on experience |
| School (checking) | Ask for agreement | 「もう読んだでしょう？」 (You already read it, right?) | （もう よんだ で しょう） | [moː jo̞nda de̞ɕoː] | Rising intonation adds checking or emphasis |
| Work (status report) | Report a confirmed fact | 「資料の送信は完了しています。」 (The documents have been sent.) | （しりょう の そうしん は かんりょう して います） | [ɕiɾʲoː no̞ so̞ːɕiɴ wa kaɴɾʲoː ɕite̞ imasɯ] | Use a direct statement for confirmed information |
| Work (outlook) | Give a soft outlook | 「このプロジェクトは来月には終わるでしょう。」 (This project will probably finish by next month.) | （この プロジェクト は らいげつ には おわる で しょう） | [ko̞no̞ pɯɾo̞dʑe̞kɯto̞ wa ɾaige̞tsɯ niwa o̞waɾɯ de̞ɕoː] | Present it as an outlook with some basis |
Small tips to make your message clearer
1) Add one reason
If you put a reason before 「〜でしょう」, the guess sounds more trustworthy.
- 「毎年この時期は混むので、今年も混むでしょう。」 (It is busy every year at this time, so it will probably be busy this year too.)
- 「彼はいつも準備が早いので、今日も準備できているでしょう。」 (He is always quick to prepare, so he is probably ready today too.)
2) Choose between 「でしょう」 and 「かもしれません」 by confidence
If you have evidence and strong confidence, use 「〜でしょう」.
If you have little evidence and only want to mention a possibility, use 「〜かもしれません」.
- 「明日は試験があるので、彼は緊張しているでしょう。」 (There is an exam tomorrow, so he is probably nervous.)
- 「明日は試験があるかもしれません。」 (There may be an exam tomorrow.)
3) Be careful with the ending when checking
「〜でしょう？」 can sound a little strong. If you want to check more softly, use 「〜ですね？」 or 「〜ですよね？」.
- 「もう終わりましたよね？」 (You have already finished, right?)
- 「もう終わったでしょう？」 (You already finished, right?)
Common mistakes and fixes
| Common sentence | What is the issue? | Fix (example) |
|---|---|---|
| 「会議は3時からでしょう。」 | It sounds uncertain even though it is a fixed decision | 「会議は3時からです。」 |
| 「昨日、友だちから聞いたんですが、明日は休みでしょう。」 | It sounds like your own guess even though it is hearsay | 「明日は休みらしいです。」 |
| Using 「〜でしょう」 for everything | It becomes hard to tell how certain you are | Use 「でしょう」 when confidence is high, and 「かもしれません」 when it is low |
Summary
「〜でしょう」 is useful for:
- softly expressing a guess based on the situation or on experience
- showing stronger confidence than 「かもしれません」
- asking for confirmation or agreement when said with rising intonation
On the other hand, in scenes like:
- reporting facts you confirmed yourself
- official decisions or conclusions
- situations where steps or instructions must be clear
you should switch to direct statements such as 「〜です」 or 「〜します」.
By scene, switch among
「〜でしょう」, 「〜らしいです」, 「〜のようです」, 「〜かもしれません」, and 「〜です」
and build Japanese that expresses your meaning accurately.
