immersionlog

〜かもしれない

might, may

Plain form / Noun + かもしれない

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かもしれない means "might" or "maybe": 明日は雨が降るかもしれません, "it might rain tomorrow". It's a real possibility, but no more than about even odds.

It attaches to plain forms, and nouns and な-adjectives take it directly, without だ: 間違いかもしれない, "it might be a mistake".

Compare でしょう ("probably"), which is more confident, and はず ("should be"), which is based on reasoning.

In casual speech it shrinks to かも: 間に合わないかも, "we might not make it". Politely, かもしれません.

It's also a handy softener. もしかしたら ("perhaps") at the start of the sentence often goes with it: もしかしたら、田中さんはもう帰ったかもしれません.

Register: Polite: かもしれません. Casual: かも.

Examples

  • 明日あしたは雨あめが降ふるかもしれません。

    It might rain tomorrow.

  • 田中たなかさんはもう帰かえったかもしれない。

    Tanaka might have gone home already.

  • この答こたえは間違まちがいかもしれません。

    This answer might be wrong.

  • 来週らいしゅうは忙いそがしいかもしれない。

    I might be busy next week.

  • 急いそがないと、間まに合あわないかも。

    If we don't hurry, we might not make it.

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