modality N2 uncommon writtenliterary
であろう — probably / surely ~
であろう
Builds on である
Meaning
- probably ~ / surely ~ — the formal/written conjecture form, equivalent to だろう
Key sentence
彼の判断は正しかったのであろう。
His judgment was probably correct.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun / な-adjective stem | N + であろう | 事実 → 事実であろう |
| Verb / い-adjective (plain) | plain form + であろう | 変わる → 変わるであろう |
When: Written and literary — essays, formal narration, editorials. The spoken equivalent is だろう.
Examples
この傾向は今後も続くであろう。
This trend will probably continue from now on.
読者はすでに気づいているであろう。
The reader has surely already noticed.
それこそが彼の望んだ結末であろう。
That, surely, is the ending he had hoped for.
誰もが一度は抱く疑問であろう。
It is surely a question everyone holds at least once.
Easily confused with
See であろう in real sentences
Jengo shows であろう the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.