Mini-Dialogue: Expressing Certainty
A review of N3 certainty expressions through a natural dialogue about a missing train pass.
A Missing Pass
You are at the train station with your friend, Ken. You are about to go through the ticket gate, but Ken realizes his commuter pass is missing. You both try to figure out where it could be.
Reviewing Certainty
These patterns allow you to express how sure you are about a situation.
Tip
Dialogue: Where is the pass?
Listen to Ken and his friend discuss the situation.
あれ、ていきがない。どこかにおとしたかな。
あれ、定期がない。どこかに落としたかな。
Huh? I don't have my pass. I wonder if I dropped it somewhere.
さっきのかふぇにわすれたんじゃない？
さっきのカフェに忘れたんじゃない？
Didn't you leave it at the cafe earlier?
いや、さっきかくにんしたから、あるはずだよ。
いや、さっき確認したから、あるはずだよ。
No, I checked earlier, so it should be there (in my bag).
でも、かばんのなかにはないようだよ。
でも、カバンの中にはないようだよ。
But it looks like it's not in your bag.
ほんとうだ。ないわけがないんだけど…。
本当だ。ないわけがないんだけど…。
You're right. It's impossible for it to be missing, but...
もしかしたら、かいさつでおとしたかもしれないね。
もしかしたら、改札で落としたかもしれないね。
Maybe you dropped it at the ticket gate.
Which phrase expresses that something is 'impossible'?
- ないはずだ
- ✓ ないわけがない
- ないようだ
- ないかもしれない
〜わけがない is a strong expression used to say something is logically impossible.
Register and Nuance
How to choose the right certainty marker.
Certainty Levels
〜はず
High certainty (logical expectation)
雨が降るはずです
〜かもしれない
Low certainty (speculation)
雨が降るかもしれません
Which form is most appropriate for formal business settings?
- 〜かもしれない
- ✓ 〜はずです
- 〜ようですよ
- 〜わけだ
〜はずです is commonly used in formal contexts to state an expectation based on facts.
Advanced Nuances
Exceptions and subtle uses.
Lesson Recap
You have reviewed how to express certainty using N3 patterns. Practice these by describing your own expectations about daily events.