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Lesson 32 — ほうがいい · でしょう · かもしれません

BOOK II · 初級 II みんなの日本語 · Mini no Nihongo

L32 · ほうがいい · かもしれません

Name Date

REFほうがいい · でしょう · かもしれません

1. 〜ほうがいいです — advice

DirectionFormExample
do itた-form + ほうがいい
don't do itない-form + ほうがいい

The tested trap: affirmative advice uses た-form, not dictionary form. 飲のむほうがいいです ✕ → 飲のんだほうがいいです ○

But the negative side uses the plain present ない-form, not なかった.

Can sound pushy if unsolicited — often softened with 〜たら？ or 〜んじゃないですか.

2. 〜でしょう — conjecture

Plain form + でしょう; drop だ for な-adj and nouns.

Frequently paired with たぶん. Common in weather forecasts.

3. 〜かもしれません — might

Plain form + かもしれません; drop だ for な-adj and nouns.

4. Certainty scale

FormConfidenceAdverb
fact—
high
probable
possible

5. Weather & health vocabulary in use

(によると formally arrives in L47)

Set expressions会話かいわ

Key vocabulary

運動うんどうします成功せいこうします合格ごうかくします負まけますやみます晴はれます曇くもります続つづきます遅おくれます気温きおん湿度しつど台風たいふう天気予報てんきよほう地震じしん火事かじ試験しけん翌日よくじつたぶんきっともしかしたらもうすぐ

詳説 In depth — grammar notes

1. 〜ほうがいいです — advice with a comparison inside it

ほう is "the side / the option", so the sentence literally says *this option is good* — with the unspoken other option sitting next to it. That is why the affirmative takes the た-form: you are pointing at the completed action as the better choice.

AdviceFormExample
do it
don't
JapaneseEnglish
If you have a fever you'd better go to bed early.
You should take an umbrella.
You'd better not drink today.

The negative does not use た: ✕ · ○.

ほうがいい is fairly strong — it implies you have a reason to worry. For a neutral suggestion use or . Saying to a stranger sounds like criticism.

2. 〜でしょう — probably

でしょう attaches to the plain form (verbs and い-adjectives) or to the bare stem (な-adjectives and nouns — no だ).

TypePlain+ でしょう
verb
い-adj
な-adj
noun
JapaneseEnglish
It will probably rain tomorrow.
It'll be cold up the mountain.
He probably won't come.

✕ · ○ — the だ disappears. Same for な-adjectives: ✕.

Adverbs set the strength: (probably) pairs with でしょう, (surely) with でしょう or ます, (maybe) with かもしれません.

でしょう？ with rising intonation

Said with a rise, でしょう stops being a guess and asks the listener to agree: — "Good film, isn't it?" Weather forecasts use the falling one; conversation uses both.

3. 〜かもしれません — it might be

Same attachment rules as でしょう: plain form, but な-adjectives and nouns drop だ.

JapaneseEnglish
I might not make it in time.
He might be ill.
This road might be congested.

4. The certainty scale

ConfidenceFormExample
100%
~90%
~60%
~50%
~30%

Later lessons refine this: (L46) is a confident deduction from evidence, (L47) is a guess from what you can see, (L47) is repeating what you heard.

5. Weather and health in use

天気予報てんきよほう気温きおん台風たいふう曇くもり晴はれ雪ゆき熱ねつ頭痛ずつう風邪かぜをひきます
JapaneseEnglish
According to the forecast, it'll be sunny tomorrow.
I might have caught a cold — my head hurts.
You'd better go to the hospital.

Error table

✕○Why
affirmative advice uses the た-form
negative advice uses ない, never なかった
nouns and な-adjectives drop だ
one guess marker per sentence
a forecast about the world takes でしょう; たぶん〜ます about your own plan is ordinary Japanese

Try translating

EnglishJapanese
You'd better take some medicine.
You shouldn't work too hard.
It will probably be cold tomorrow.
He might not come.
According to the forecast it'll snow.
I might have caught a cold.

練習 Practice — 7 questions

  1. Q1 affirmative advice

    Advice: 'You'd better take medicine.'

    ほ
    う
    が
    い
    い
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B Affirmative advice = た-form + ほうがいい. The trap: not dict form.
  2. Q2 negative advice

    Advice: 'You'd better NOT take a bath.'

    ほ
    う
    が
    い
    い
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B Negative advice = ない-form (present) + ほうがいい
  3. Q3 conjecture

    'It will probably rain tomorrow.'

    で
    し
    ょ
    う
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A plain + でしょう
  4. Q4 noun + でしょう

    'The afternoon will probably be sunny (晴はれ = noun).'

    で
    し
    ょ
    う
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B noun drops だ before でしょう
  5. Q5 might

    'I might not make it in time.' (low certainty)

    か
    も
    し
    れ
    な
    い
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A plain + かもしれません; weaker than でしょう
  6. Q6 noun + かも

    'It might be a holiday (休やすみ= noun).'

    か
    も
    し
    れ
    な
    い
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B noun/な-adj drop だ before かもしれません
  7. Q7 certainty scale

    Order these by certainty (high → low).

    確実 かくじつ
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B です (fact) > でしょう (probably) > かもしれません (maybe)

解答 Answer key

  1. Q1 B Affirmative advice = た-form + ほうがいい. The trap: not dict form.
  2. Q2 B Negative advice = ない-form (present) + ほうがいい
  3. Q3 A plain + でしょう
  4. Q4 B noun drops だ before でしょう
  5. Q5 A plain + かもしれません; weaker than でしょう
  6. Q6 B noun/な-adj drop だ before かもしれません
  7. Q7 B です (fact) > でしょう (probably) > かもしれません (maybe)