modality N2 uncommon writtenliterary

まい — will surely not ~ / will never ~

まい

Meaning

① negative conjecture: probably won't ~ / surely not ~ (= ないだろう)

② negative volition: I will not ~ / I refuse to ~ (a firm personal decision, = ないつもりだ)

Key sentence

① negative conjecture

こんな天気てんきでは、彼かれはもう来こまい。

In weather like this, he probably won't come anymore.

② negative volition

あんな店みせには二度にどと行いくまい。

I will never go to that shop again.

Formation

Attaches to	Form	Example
Verb (dictionary form)	V-dict + まい	行いく → 行いくまい、来くる → 来くるまい／来こまい
る-verbs (stem also possible)	V-stem + まい	食たべる → 食たべまい／食たべるまい
する (irregular)	するまい / すまい	する → するまい／すまい

When: Written and literary. Spoken Japanese uses ないだろう (conjecture) or ないつもりだ / もう〜ない (volition).

Examples

① negative conjecture

あの店みせはもう開あいてはいまい。

That shop probably isn't open anymore.

二度にどと同おなじ過あやまちは犯おかすまいと誓ちかった。

He vowed he would surely not repeat the same mistake.

② negative volition

もう彼かれを信しんじまい。

I will not trust him anymore.

誰だれにも本心ほんしんを明あかすまいと心こころに決きめた。

I resolved that I would reveal my true feelings to no one.

Easily confused with

だろうまい is the negative counterpart of だろう in its conjecture sense — だろう 'probably will', まい 'probably won't'.

See まい in real sentences

Jengo shows まい the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.

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