modality N4 essential casualpolitewritten
〜かもしれない — might / maybe ~
〜かもしれない ・ かもしれない
Meaning
- might / maybe / perhaps ~ — the speaker sees it as a genuine but uncertain possibility
Key sentence
明日は雪が降るかもしれない。
It might snow tomorrow.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain form / noun / na-adjective | plain V/A + かもしれない; N or na-adj + かもしれない (no だ) | 遅れるかもしれない / 病気かもしれない |
Variants
かも — casual shortening: 行くかも かもしれません — polite form
Examples
彼はもう帰ったかもしれない。
He might have already gone home.
この道は間違っているかもしれません。
This road might be the wrong one.
Easily confused with
See 〜かもしれない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜かもしれない 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 Advanced Japanese Grammar.