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JLPT N4Adverbs

きっと— Surely / Certainly / I'm sure

An adverb expressing strong personal confidence or conviction — the speaker is quite sure something is or will be true. Common in reassurance, predictions, and encouragement.

Grammar path · 練習

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Pro lessonUNIT 26 · ADVERBS

Structure · 形

きっと + [sentence]

Examples · 例文

  • きっとうまくいくよ。心配しないで。

    Kitto umaku iku yo. Shinpai shinai de.

    I'm sure it'll work out. Don't worry.

    きっと = strong reassurance / confidence

  • これだけ練習すれば、きっと合格できる。

    Kore dake renshuu sureba, kitto goukaku dekiru.

    If you practice this much, you'll surely pass.

    きっと = confidence based on observed effort

  • あの映画はきっと面白いと思う。

    Ano eiga wa kitto omoshiroi to omou.

    I'm sure that movie is interesting.

    きっと + と思う = personal strong expectation

Usage notes · 注意

  • Confidence spectrum: 絶対に (100%, absolutely) > 必ず (definitely/without fail) > きっと (surely, personal belief) > 多分 (probably, ~70%) > もしかしたら (perhaps).
  • きっと rests on personal conviction; 必ず asserts objective certainty (必ず毎朝来る = comes every morning without fail).
  • きっと is often used to encourage.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones きっと is tested against.

vs必ず (kanarazu)

必ず states an objective, guaranteed certainty ('without fail'); きっと is the speaker's subjective conviction ('I'm sure').

vs多分 (tabun)

多分 is weaker (~70% probably); きっと signals higher personal confidence.

vs絶対 (zettai)

絶対 is emphatic 100% 'absolutely'; きっと leaves a small margin — it is belief, not proof.

More adverbs

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