Lesson 17
Conjecture & Judgement
- 1 〜とみえる ~to mieru it appears that (judging from evidence) A conclusion drawn from what you see of someone else — a more literary らしい.
- 2 〜おそれがある ~osore ga aru there is a risk that ~ (something bad) The 'there is a risk of' of news and weather reports — bad outcomes only, formal.
- 3 〜まい ~mai probably not / I will never The old, written 'not' — two jobs: 'probably not' and 'I will never'.
- 4 〜（よ）うか〜まいか ~(yo)u ka ~mai ka whether to ~ or not When you are torn — 帰ろうか帰るまいか (to go home or not).
- 5 〜ではあるまいか ~de wa aru mai ka isn't it perhaps ~? Writing your opinion softened into a question — 原因ではあるまいか (might this not be the cause?).
- 6 〜にきまっている ~ni kimatte iru is definitely / bound to (spoken) 'No need to even think, it's definitely this' — the hot, spoken certainty; に違いない's blunt sibling.
- 7 〜に相違ない ~ni sōi nai there is no doubt that (formal, written) The 'it must be so' of reports and writing — 彼が犯人に相違ない (he must be the culprit).
- 8 〜かのようだ ~ka no yō da as if it were (though it isn't) A level above まるで〜ようだ — the literary 'it isn't so, but as if it were'.
- 9 〜とか［伝聞］ ~toka [hearsay] I hear that ~ (vague) 'I heard, but don't hold me to it' — the vague spoken 'they say'; less sure than そうだ.
Lesson check
All 9 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
🔒
「店長は今日とても忙しい＿、一度も休憩に来なかった。」— a guess from what you see; fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The second clause is the evidence for the guess.
〜とみえて = 'it appears that', with the evidence following. かのように means 'as if (but not really)', not a guess.
「この薬は眠くなる＿ので、運転の前には飲まないでください。」(medicine leaflet) — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A formal document warning of a bad possibility.
Dictionary form + おそれがある = formal warning of a bad outcome (leaflets, news). に決まっている is blunt spoken 'definitely', wrong for a written warning.
「あんな失礼な店には、二度と＿と決めた。」— which states your firm resolve?
💡 Hint:The form that pairs with 「二度と」.
Dictionary form + まい = 'I will never', one's own resolve (with 二度と・決して). 行くに決まっている says 'will definitely go' — the opposite.
「（本当は聞いていたのに）店長は何も聞いていなかった＿、平気な顔で仕事を続けた。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:'Not really so, but as if it were'.
〜かのように = he had heard but acted as if he hadn't (as if, though not). とみえて would be a real guess that he hadn't heard, which clashes with 本当は聞いていた.
Which sentence is unnatural?
💡 Hint:What kind of outcome does おそれがある take?
おそれがある is only for bad outcomes; 合格 is good, so say 合格するかもしれない／可能性がある.
Which sentence is unnatural?
💡 Hint:Whom is the 'probably not' まい about?
Conjecture まい (〜ないだろう) is only about others or outside matters; for yourself say 私はできないだろう. 二度と〜するまい is fine because it is your own resolve.
In a written investigation report you state with certainty that the cause was equipment failure — 「原因は設備の故障である＿」which form?
💡 Hint:A written, formal report.
N + である + に相違ない = stiff written 'must be' for reports. に決まっている is blunt spoken language, wrong in a report; とか would sound unsure.
In the break room, telling a coworker something you heard from the manager but are not sure of — 「店長が、来月からシフトが変わる＿よ。」which form?
💡 Hint:Hearsay, but vague.
Plain form + とか言っていた = 'was saying something like', vague hearsay with a friend. とみえた is a guess from what you saw, not something you heard.
Your score: /8