JLPT N5 Grammar (darou)

Meaning

I think; it seems; probably; right?

How to use

Verb (dictionary form)だろう
Noun
な-adjective
い-adjective
darou だろう jlpt n5 grammar meaning 文法例文 japanese flashcards

Learn Japanese grammar: (darou). Meaning: I think; it seems; probably; right?

Although there are many different meanings, which may seem confusing, it is usually easy to understand from context. Let’s look at some basic examples.

BTW, sometimes this grammar is shortened to just (daro), but the meaning is the same.

Example A)

uso darou.

You’re kidding (surely that’s a lie)

That’s a lie, right?

This method can express either confidence that it is likely a lie, or express that you are asking for confirmation, though it depends on the tone of the speaker and the situation.

Example 2)

ame ga furu darou.

It seems like it’s going to rain.

I think it’s going to rain.

Like the previous example, the meaning changes depending on the speaker’s tone and the situation. When spoken in a questioning type of tone, it is asking for confirmation from whoever the speaker is talking to. Otherwise, it expresses what the speaker is thinking; in this case thinking that it is likely to rain.

Used with questions

Example C) showing speculation

sore wa nan darou?

I wonder what that is…


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- Example Sentences

Each example sentence includes a Japanese hint, the romaji reading, and the English translation.

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Example #1

かれはもうすぐくるだろう。
kare wa mou sugu kuru darou.
He should be coming any moment now.
Example #2

そうだろうとおもった。
sou darou to omotta.
I thought (figured) as much.
Example #3

あしたはたぶんあめがふるだろう。そらにくもがたくさんあるから。
ashita wa tabun ame ga furu darou. sora ni kumo ga takusan aru kara.
It will likely rain tomorrow.. There's a lot of clouds in the sky now..
Example #4

まちがいないだろう。
machigai nai darou.
Surely there's no mistake.
Example #5

たぶんこのあめはいちじかんぐらいでやむだろう。
tabun kono ame wa ichijikan gurai de yamu darou.
This rain will probably be over in about an hour or so.
Example #6

あそこにいるひとはだれだろう。
asoko ni iru hito wa dare darou.
I wonder who that person is over there.
Example #7

このにくは、もうたべないほうがいいだろう。もうわるくなってしまった。
kono niku wa, mou tabenai hou ga ii darou. mou waruku natte shimatta.
It's probably best to not eat this meat. It's already gone bad..
Example #8

どうしてにほんのなつはこんなにあついんだろう。
doushite nihon no natsu wa konnani atsui n darou.
Why is Summer in Japan so hot..?

Vocabulary List

KanjiKanaEnglish
うそlie
あめrain
降るふるto fall
雨が降るあめがふるto rain
新しいあたらしいnew
かっこいいcool
先生せんせいteacher
来るくるto come
思うおもうto think
間違いまちがいmistake

View all JLPT N5 Vocabulary Lessons

JLPT N5 vocabulary list

View all JLPT N5 Grammar Lessons

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