Expressing Doubt in Japanese || Using かな, かしら, & だろうか

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Home B2 Expressing doubt with かな, かしら, and だろうか

HOW TO USE かな, かしら, AND だろうか

There are plenty of ways to convey your doubts in Japanese.

The main structures use かな, かしら, and だろうか, but かもしれない is also common.

We teach you how to use them and how not to get confused with other similar expressions.

HOW TO USE かな, かしら, AND だろうか

To express your feelings of doubt and uncertainty, you can use かな , かしら , and だろうか .

They are equivalent to the English phrase “I wonder…”.

かな is a masculine expression and かしら is a feminine expression.

だろうか is a slightly formal expression. You can also say でしょうか to be more polite. The grammar rule is very simple – you can just attach them at the end of sentences.

PATTERN

Verb / い or な Adjective / Noun + かな / かしら / だろうか

NOTE || For な adjectives, you should remove the last な or だ before attaching かな / かしら / だろうか.

EXAMPLES WITH かな

今日は暑くなるかな。	I wonder if it will be hot today.
インフルエンザかな。	I wonder if I have flu.
明日は雨かな。	I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.

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あのレストランの料理の値段は高いかな。	I wonder if that restaurant’s food is costly.
このケーキ本当に美味しいかな。	I wonder if this cake is really tasty.
この務めを果たせるかな。	I wonder if I can fulfill this responsibility.

EXAMPLES WITH かしら

食後のデザートは何かしら。	I wonder what will be the dessert after a meal.
本屋さんであったあの人は誰かしら。	I wonder who was that person I met at the book store.
あの話は本当かしら。	I wonder if that story is true.

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ラブレターをもらったけど彼は本気かしら。	He gave me a love letter, but I wonder if he is serious.
この本は誰のかしら。	I wonder whose book is this.
田中さんは忙しいかしら。	I wonder if Tanaka san is busy.

EXAMPLES WITH だろうか / でしょうか

明日彼は会社に来ないでしょうか。	I wonder if he will not come to the office tomorrow.
世界が平和になる日はくるのだろうか。	I wonder if one day there will be peace in this world.
彼はお金を返してくれるだろうか。	I wonder if he will return my money.

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お母さんは許してくれるだろうか。	I doubt that my mother will forgive me.
夏になったから暑くなるでしょうか。	I wonder if it will get hot because it is summer already.
幸せな人生を送れるだろうか。	I wonder if I can have a happy life.

HOW TO USE かもしれない

Let’s learn one more expression of doubt which is かもしれない.

かもしれない is similar to the English words “may” or “might”.

So it is slightly more certain than かも. It conveys the idea that something may be true, but not very sure about it.

PATTERN

Verb / い or な Adjective / Noun + かもしれない

NOTE || For な adjectives, you should remove the lastな or だ before attaching かもしれない.

風邪をひくかもしれない。	I may catch a cold.
午後から雨がふるかもしれない。	It may be rain in the afternoon.
来週大きい台風がくるかもしれない。	A big typhoon may come next week.

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このお菓子はおいしくないかもしれない。	This snack may be not tasty.
明日動物園に行くかもしれない。	I may go to the zoo tomorrow.
先生が家に来るかもしれない。	My teacher may come to my house.

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FAQs

What difference between くらい and ころ?

くらい is primarily used to indicate approximate quantities, degrees, or extents, while ころ refers to an approximate point in time.

Can くらい and ころ be used interchangeably?

No, they are not interchangeable. くらい is used for quantities or degrees (e.g., “about 10 minutes”), whereas ころ is used for approximate times (e.g., “around 3 o’clock” or “around my childhood”).

Are there any alternatives to くらい and ころ?

In more formal situations, you might use ほど instead of くらい to express approximation.

For example, 10分くらい can become 10分ほど.

However, ほど cannot replace ころ, as they serve different grammatical purposes.

Can ころ be used with actions or events?

Yes, ころ can describe the approximate time when an action or event took place.

For instance, 学生のころ means “around the time I was a student.”

Can I combine くらい or ころ with particles?

Yes, combining these with particles like に (e.g., 3時ころに) or は (e.g., これくらいは) can add additional nuance or emphasize specific aspects of the sentence. Context determines the appropriate combination.

Can I study Japanese in Japan with LTL?

Absolutely! We offer group and individual classes in Tokyo.

If you’d prefer to learn Japanese from the comfort of your home, you should have a look at our online lessons on Flexi Classes (we even have a 7 day free trial!)