In Japanese, we most often use 〜だろう[darō], or its polite form 〜でしょう[deshō], when speculating, making a prediction, or asking for confirmation.
Speculating / Predicting:
明日は晴れるだろう 。
Ashita wa hareru darō.
It will probably be sunny tomorrow.
Asking for confirmation:
この店のすし、どれもおいしいでしょう？
Kono mise no sushi, dore mo oishii deshō?
The sushi at this place is all good, don’t you agree?
But there are a lot of other situations where you can use these endings as well! In this post, we’ll talk about how to use 〜だろう[darō] and 〜でしょう[deshō] in a sentence, and cover all the uses of these two endings. Let’s get started!
The ending 〜だろう[darō] and its polite form 〜でしょう[deshō] are always used alongside the plain form of a , , or . Adding these endings adds a layer of uncertainty or speculation to the meaning, but the forms have a wide range of English translations, depending on the context.
Part of Speech | Dictionary Form | With 〜だろう[darō] | With 〜でしょう[deshō] |
|---|---|---|---|
Verb | 行く iku to go | 行くだろう iku darō | 行くでしょう iku deshō |
i-adjective | 暑い atsui hot | 暑いだろう iku darō | 暑いでしょう atsui deshō |
na-adjective | 好きだ suki liked | 好きだろう suki darō | 好きでしょう suki deshō |
Noun | 雨だ ame rain | 雨だろう ame darō | 雨でしょう ame deshō |
Notice that even though, in the non-past, na-adjectives and nouns are usually followed by だ[da], they are not followed by だ[da] when they come before 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō]!
雨だ
ame da
It’s going to rain.
雨だろう / 雨でしょう
ame darō / ame deshō
It will probably rain.
You can use a variety of plain forms before 〜だろう[darō] and 〜でしょう[deshō]. It doesn’t need to be or present tense! For example:
雨じゃないだろう
ame ja nai darō.
It’s probably not going to rain.
雨だっただろう
ame datta darō
It was probably raining.
Broadly, adding 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō] to the end of a phrase adds a layer of uncertainty or speculation to the meaning of a sentence. However, depending on the situation and surrounding context, there are a number of different ways you might translate these forms.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common situations where you’re likely to use 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō] in Japanese!
In Japanese, we often use 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō] when making a prediction or speculating about a situation. So you might use these endings where, in English, you’d use a word or phrase like “I think…”, “I would imagine that…”, or “probably.”
Politeness | Statement | Prediction / Speculation |
|---|---|---|
Plain | 明日は晴れる。 Ashita wa hareru. It will be sunny tomorrow. | 明日は晴れるだろう。 Ashita wa hareru darō. It will probably be sunny tomorrow. |
Polite | あれはジョンの車です。 Are wa Jon no kuruma desu. That’s John’s car. | あれはジョンの車でしょう。 Are wa Jon no kuruma deshō. That must be John’s car. |
You can speculate about past situations by attaching 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō] to the plain past tense form:
祖母は昔の友だちに会えて嬉しかっただろう。
Sobo wa mukashi no tomodachi ni aete ureshikatta darō.
My grandmother was probably delighted to see her old friends.
You can also use these endings when speculating about what something would be like in an imagined situation.
タイムマシンがあっても、未来には行かないだろう。
Taimu mashin ga atte mo, mirai ni wa ai ni ikanai darō.
Even if I had a time machine, I would not go to the future.
Though just adding the ending 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[ deshō] is enough to convey that you’re speculating, you’ll sometimes still use them with an of speculation as well, such as:
たぶん
tabun
probably, perhaps
おそらく
osoraku
probably, perhaps
きっと
kitto
surely
Adding these adverbs can help the speaker show how likely they think their speculation is to be correct.
夕焼けがきれいだから、明日はたぶん晴れるだろう。
Yūyake ga kirei da kara, ashita wa tabun hareru darō.
Since we are having a beautiful sunset, it’ll probably be sunny tomorrow.
高気圧が張り出してきているそうだから、明日はきっと晴れるだろう。
Kōkiatsu ga haridashite kite iru sō da kara, ashita wa kitto hareru darō.
I’ve heard that a high pressure system is expanding over this area, so it’ll surely be sunny tomorrow.
When speculating on the cause or reason of an observable situation, you’ll need to use the explanation mode before the the ending 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō]. This means that, in these cases, the ending will be a little different:
After verbs and i-adjectives: 〜んだろう[ndarō] / 〜んでしょう[ndeshō]
電車、やけに混んでいますね。
Densha, yake ni konde imasu ne.
The train is awfully crowded, isn’t it?
ええ、今日はなにか特別のイベントでもあるんでしょう。
Ē, kyō wa nanika tokubetsu no ibento demo aru n deshō.
Yes. There is probably some kind of special event today.
After na-adjectives and nouns: 〜なんだろう[nan darō] / 〜なんでしょう[ nan deshō]
ジョン、楽しそうだなあ。よっぽど犬が好きなんだろう。
Jon, tanoshisō da nā. Yoppodo inu ga suki nan darō.
John looks so happy. He probably likes dogs so much.
There are a few situations where you may want to avoid using 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō] to speculate or to make a prediction. Here are three questions you can ask yourself to decide how and if you want to use these endings.
Do you want to sound masculine or feminine?
In casual conversation, male and female speakers use 〜だろう[darō] differently:
Male speakers mostly use the ending 〜だろう[darō] on its own.
Female speakers mostly use 〜だろうね[darōne].
In more structured speech, like speeches or writing, 〜だろう[darō] is used by everyone, and is not gendered.
How much authority or expertise do you have?
When you use 〜でしょう[deshō] to make a prediction, it sounds like you have authority on the topic. You’ll most often hear it being used by professionals such as weather forecasters or medical doctors:
明日のお天気です。福岡は雨でしょう。
Ashita no otenki desu. Fukuoka wa ame deshō.
Here’s tomorrow’s weather. It’ll be rainy in Fukuoka.
腫れは２、３日でひくでしょう。
Hare wa ni, san nichi de hiku deshō.
The swelling will probably subside in two or three days.
So if you’re making a prediction, and you don’t have that sort of authority, using 〜でしょう[deshō)] can sound a little deceptive!
Are you speaking formally, or informally?
While the simple endings 〜だろう[darō] and or 〜でしょう[deshō] are quite common in writing and formal speech, they are less common in casual speech.
In casual speech, you’re more likely to express that you’re speculating more explicitly, using a phrase like と思います[to omoimasu].
明日は雨だと思います。
Ashita wa ame da to omoimasu.
As for tomorrow, I think it’ll rain.
明日は雨だろうと思います。
Ashita wa ame darō to omoimasu.
As for tomorrow, I think it’ll probably rain.
To learn more about 〜と思う[...to omou] and other related expressions, check out our post on quotations!
The endings 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō] can also be used to ask someone to confirm you’ve understood a situation, or to ask whether they agree with your assessment of something. Some English equivalents might be “..., right?” or “..., don’t you agree?”
Like in English, sentences like these use a rising intonation on the last syllable, as though you’re asking a question. We’ll indicate that with a question mark!
週末はどうせひまだろう？ 遊びに来いよ。
Shūmatsu wa dōse hima darō? Asobi ni koi yo.
You have nothing to do this weekend anyway, right? Come to my place for a visit.
この店のすし、どれもおいしいでしょう？
Kono mise no sushi, dore mo oishii deshō?
The sushi at this place is all good, don’t you agree?
When used this way, these endings are often followed by with the particle ね[ne]. Using 〜だろうね?[darō ne?] or でしょうね？[deshō ne?] makes you sound like you have some doubt in the listener, either their intentions or their accurate understanding. For example:
明日は来てくれるだろうね？
Ashita wa kite kureru darō ne?
You are coming tomorrow, am I right?
この店のネタ、新鮮でしょうね？➚
Kono mise no neta, shinsen deshō ne?➚
You are sure that the seafood used for sushi at this place is fresh, aren’t you?
In a casual conversation, you’ll most often ask for confirmation or agreement using だろ[daro] and でしょ[desho], the short versions of 〜だろう[darō] and 〜でしょう[deshō].
だろ[daro] is mostly used by male speakers while でしょ[desho] is mostly used by female speakers.
週末はどうせひまだろ？
Shūmatsu wa dōse hima daro?
You have nothing to do this weekend anyway, right?
週末はどうせひまでしょ？
Shūmatsu wa dōse hima desho?
You have nothing to do this weekend anyway, right?
Please note, though that だろ[daro] and でしょ[desho] can sometimes carry a curt or dismissive tone. So be careful how you say it if you don’t want to give a wrong impression.
Also, だろ[daro] and でしょ[desho] can’t be used along with other sentence ending particles such as ね[ne] or か[ka]. In fact, they are sometimes considered as functioning as sentence-ending particles themselves!
You can also use 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō], with a rising intonation, to remind someone or activate their knowledge, as you might use “...remember?” in English.
ほら、駅の近くに木村屋っていうパン屋があったでしょう？
Hora, eki no chikaku ni Kimuraya tte iu pan’ya ga atta deshō?
Say, there was a bakery called Kimuraya near the train station, remember?
In casual conversations, you can use the shorter versions だろ[daro] and でしょ[desho] instead.
中学校に本田先生っていただろ / でしょ？
Chūgakkō ni Honda sensei tte ita daro / desho?
There was a teacher in our junior high school whose name was Mr. Honda, remember?
You can also express empathy or understanding using 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō]. It works this way because you are speculating or predicting how someone else must feel, a little like how you might use “must…,” “I imagine…,” or “I see….” to express empathy in English.
In this case, the intonation doesn’t go up!
さぞお疲れでしょう。ごゆっくりお休みください。
Sazo otsukare deshō. Goyukkuri oyasumi kudasai.
You must be really tired. Please have a good night’s sleep.
みんな大変だっただろう。 お疲れ様。
Min’na taihen datta darō. Otsukaresama.
I see (the task) was challenging to you all. You did a great job.
Sometimes, 〜だろう[darō] and 〜でしょう[deshō], or their short versions 〜だろ[daro] and 〜でしょ[desho] , are used to reproach someone, especially for not following the speaker’s advice. In this case, the sentence typically starts with だから[dakara](so).
Example: Your young sibling accidentally spilled their grape juice onto your homework sheet.
あっ！ごめんなさい・・・。
A! Gomen’nasai…
Oh! I’m sorry…
だから、あっちで飲めって言っただろう。
Dakara, atchi de nome tte itta darō.
So, I told you to drink it over there, didn’t I?
When 〜だろう[darō] and 〜でしょう[deshō], or their short versions, are spoken with a falling intonation, it can indicate that the speaker is countering someone else’s speculation or idea, as in “Actually, I think…” or “I think it’s more likely…”.
ジョン、遅いなあ。事故でもあったのかな。
Jon, osoinā. Jiko demo atta no kana.
John is late. I wonder if there was an accident or something.
寝坊でもしたんでしょ。
Nebō demo shita n desho.
I think it’s more likely he overslept or something.
When they’re followed by the question marker か[ka], 〜だろう[darō] or 〜でしょう[deshō] can be added to an expression of doubt or concern. An English equivalent might be “I wonder if….”
武田さん、遅いですね。飛行機にまにあうでしょうか。
Takeda san, osoi desu ne. Hikōki ni maniau deshō ka.
Mr. Takeda is late, isn’t he? I wonder if he’ll make it to our flight.
健太くん、ぼくとの約束を覚えているだろうか。
Kenta kun, boku to no yakusoku o oboete iru darō ka.
I wonder if Kenta remembers the promise he made with me.
Even though these sentences end with か[ka], they’re not actually questions, and the intonation usually goes down at the end of the sentence.
In this use, you can’t use the shorter versions だろ[daro] or でしょ[desho]. Why? Because だろ[daro] and でしょ[desho] can’t be used with any sentence-ending particles, including か[ka]!
Though in its use above 〜でしょうか[deshō ka] was used to express doubt, this form can be used to ask polite questions. A question that ends with 〜でしょうか[ deshō ka] sounds more hesitant and less direct than one that ends with 〜ですか[desu ka].
The intonation here may go up, but it doesn’t have to, since the か[ka] ending indicates that you’re asking a question.
夜分遅くにすみません。古川先生のお宅でしょうか。
Yabun osoku ni sumimasen. Furukawa sensei no otaku deshō ka.
I’m sorry for calling you late at night. Is this Professor Furukawa’s residence?
コーヒーのおかわりはいかがでしょうか。
Kōhii no okawari wa ikaga deshō ka.
How about another cup of coffee?
Remember not to use the short forms だろ[daro] or でしょ[desho] before a sentence-ending particle like か [ka]!
In everyday conversations, だろう？[darō?], でしょう？[deshō?], and their short forms でしょ？[desho?] and だろ？[daro?] can be also used on their own, like . It’s used a little like English exclamations “I know, right?” or “It is, isn’t it?” In this use, you’re assuming that you and your listener share the same opinion.
うーん、すばらしい演奏でしたね。感動しました。
Ūn, subarashii ensō deshita ne. Kandō shimashita.
Hmm, that was a fantastic performance, wasn’t it? I’m moved.
でしょう？ 天才なんですよ、彼女は。
Deshō? Tensai nan desu yo, kanojo wa.
It was, wasn’t it? A genius, that’s what she is.
わあ、このラーメン最高！
Wā, kono rāmen saikō!
Wow, this ramen is the best!
だろ？ 決め手はやっぱりスープなんだよな。
Daro? Kimete wa yappari sūpu nanda yo na.
I know, right? The key is the soup after all.
Sometimes the short forms だろ[daro] or でしょ[desho] are repeated twice as if they are one word to show the speaker’s light-hearted enthusiasm in very casual settings. The meaning is the same as the single version:
へぇ〜、このゲーム、おもしろいじゃん。
Hē, kono gēmu, omoshiroi jan.
Wow, this game is fun, isn’t it!
だろだろ？➚ おれのイチオシ。
Darodaro? ➚Ore no ichioshi.
I know! My favorite.
In this post, we’ve gone over all the most common uses of 〜だろう[darō] and 〜でしょう[deshō] in Japanese. Here are the most important points to remember:
These endings follow the plain or dictionary form of a verb, adjective, or noun.
The two most basic uses of these endings are:
明日は晴れるだろう。
Ashita wa hareru darō.
It will probably be sunny tomorrow.
週末はどうせひまでしょう？
Shūmatsu wa dōse hima deshō?
You have nothing to do this weekend anyway, right?
We saw how those two basic uses can be extended to a lot of other uses including…
Reminding someone of something
Expressing empathy or understanding
Reproaching the listener
Countering someone else’s speculation
Expressing doubts or concerns
Asking polite questions
An exclamation of agreement
Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Check out our 〜だろう[darō] and 〜でしょう[deshō] exercises to test your skills! Happy learning!
