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よもや

surely not, I never imagined

よもや + 〜まい / 〜ないだろう / 〜とは思わなかった

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よもや strongly doubts that something could happen, or expresses shock that it did: よもや負けるとは思わなかった, "I never imagined we would lose".

It's a literary, more intense version of まさか (N3), and they're often interchangeable. The ending is negative or doubtful: まい, ないだろう, とは思わなかった, or とは alone for shock.

A common use is a pointed warning: よもや忘れてはいないだろうね, "you haven't forgotten, surely?". The speaker suspects the worst.

Compare もしや, "could it be…?", which suspects that something is true. よもや insists that it surely isn't.

Examples

  • よもや負まけるとは思おもわなかった。

    I never imagined we would lose.

  • よもや彼かれが嘘うそをつくことはあるまい。

    Surely he wouldn't lie.

  • よもやこんな結果けっかになるとは。

    Who'd have thought it would end like this?

  • よもや約束やくそくを忘わすれてはいないだろうね。

    You haven't forgotten our promise, surely?

  • よもや本気ほんきではあるまい。

    Surely he isn't serious.

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