Japanese Conversation · Level 7
90 words
Japanese word
おそらく
Pronunciation
Romajiosoraku
Meaning
- adverbprobably
Example
明日はおそらく晴れです。asu wa o so ra ku ha re de su
It will probably be sunny tomorrow.
More examples
彼はおそらくまだ学校にいます。kare wa o so ra ku ma da gak kō ni i ma su
He is probably still at school.
Core concept
Marks a statement as a likely outcome rather than a certainty.
Common phrases
おそらく大丈夫o so ra ku dai jō bu
probably fine
Similar words
たぶんtabun: Indicates that something is likely to happen or be true in casual speech.
きっとkitto: Indicates a strong belief that something will happen or is true.
もしかするとmoshikasuruto: Indicates that something may happen or be true, but gives only a small possibility.
Definition in Japanese
確実とは言い切れないが、可能性が高いと判断して推測するさま。kaku jitsu to wa i i ki re na i ga ka nō sei ga taka i to han dan shi te sui soku su ru sa ma
Word origin
The adverb おそらく (osoraku) is historically linked to 恐る (osoru, "to fear") and originally expressed an apprehensive guess before developing its modern sense of probability.
Usage tips
- おそらく (osoraku) is common in careful or formal speech, while たぶん (tabun) is more typical of casual conversation.