でしょう — Probably / Right? (conjecture)
Expresses conjecture, probability, or seeks confirmation. "Probably / I suppose / don't you think?" Softer and less certain than はずだ.
Structure
[Plain form] + でしょう (falling: conjecture) / (rising: confirmation-seeking)
Examples
明日は雨が降るでしょう。
Ashita wa ame ga furu deshō.
It will probably rain tomorrow.
降る + でしょう = probably will rain
それは難しいでしょう。
Sore wa muzukashii deshō.
That's probably difficult.
い-adjective + でしょう = conjecture "probably difficult"
彼はもう家に着いたでしょう。
Kare wa mō ie ni tsuita deshō.
He has probably arrived home by now.
着いた (plain past) + でしょう = probably has arrived
• Key Concept: でしょう (falling intonation) = conjecture "probably." でしょう (rising intonation) = seeking confirmation "right? / isn't it?" Casual form: だろう. • Detail: でしょうか = "I wonder..." (softer than か alone). • Compare: でしょう (probably, softer) vs はずだ (should be, logical).
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones でしょう is tested against.
vs はずだ
はずだ is a logical conclusion backed by evidence/reasoning ("it should be, given X"); でしょう is a softer guess or a bid for agreement.
vs かもしれない
かもしれない = "might / maybe" (lower certainty); でしょう implies higher likelihood ("probably").
vs だろう
だろう is the plain/casual form of でしょう with the same meaning; でしょう is polite.
More modal expressions
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