Might with 〜かもしれない
Grammar: Possibility » 〜かもしれない
〜かもしれない expresses possibility or uncertainty: “might/may/could.” The colloquial shortened form is 〜かも.
かもしれない combines interrogative か, inclusive も, and 知れない “cannot be known”. The whole expression means that whether the statement is true cannot be known.
Usage Notes
Marks low-to-moderate certainty. The speaker is not confident.
Formation
- Clause + (の) + かもしれない
- 明日は雨が降るかもしれない。
- "It might rain tomorrow."
- Clause + (の) + かも（casual)
- 彼はもう帰ったのかも。
- "He might have already gone home."
Note: If の is used following a noun or adjectival noun clause, だ is replaced with な.
Further Reading
- 〜かもしれない｜日本語能力試験 JLPT N４文法 (edewakaru.com)
- 「～かもしれません」話し手の気持ちを表す表現 (tomojuku.com)
Related Grammar
- Presuming with 〜だろう and 〜でしょう (higher certainty)
Examples
Might appear bigger with 〜かもしれない
Due to Chino’s concerns about her height, Rize suggests projecting her voice as a solution.
- リゼ:
- 「声が大ければ存在も大く見かもしれない」
- “If your voice is loud, your presence might seem bigger too.”
Might get along with 〜かもしれない
Tippy remarks on how Cocoa adapted immediately to working in the café.
- ティッピー:
- 「チノにはああいう友達が合ってるかもしれん」
- “Maybe a friend like that suits Chino.”
Might have similar tastes with 〜かもしれない
At the library, Cocoa thinks she’s realized which book Chino is trying to find, but forgot the title of.
- ココア:
- 「今まで気付かなかったけど」
- “I didn't notice until now, but...”
- 「私本の趣味合うのかもしれないねっ」
- “...maybe we have similar taste in books.”
- “I didn't notice until now, but...”
Supplemental Examples
Try finding this grammar in the following examples:
