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JLPT N4Modal Expressions

かもしれない— Might / Maybe (possibility)

Expresses a low-to-medium level of possibility (around 50% or less). Where でしょう/だろう sounds like a prediction, かもしれない sounds like you are floating one possible reality among several — with no commitment.

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Pro lessonUNIT 23 · MODAL EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Plain form / Noun / な-adj (no だ)] + かもしれない

Examples · 例文

  • 明日は雨が降るかもしれません。

    Ashita wa ame ga furu kamo shiremasen.

    It might rain tomorrow.

    降る (plain) + かもしれません (polite) = expresses possibility

  • 彼はもう忘れているかもしれない。

    Kare wa mou wasurete iru kamo shirenai.

    He might have already forgotten.

    忘れている + かもしれない = a floating possibility

  • その話、本当かもしれないよ。

    Sono hanashi, hontou kamo shirenai yo.

    That story might actually be true.

    Noun 本当 + かもしれない — note: no だ inserted

Usage notes · 注意

  • The weakest of the 'certainty' words — use it when you don't want to be held responsible for being wrong.
  • The 'da' Rule: Unlike でしょう, you MUST NOT insert だ before かもしれない with a noun or な-adjective: 元気かもしれない (NOT 元気だかもしれない).
  • Slang: In very casual speech it shrinks to just 〜かも at the end. (行くかも！= I might go!).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones かもしれない is tested against.

vsでしょう / だろう

でしょう is a confident ~80% prediction; かもしれない is a hedged ~50%-or-less possibility you won't commit to.

vsはず (should / expected)

はず asserts a logically expected outcome ('it should be so'); かもしれない only raises it as one uncertain possibility.

vsに違いない (must be, no doubt)

に違いない is near-certain conviction; かもしれない is the opposite end — mere possibility.

More modal expressions

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