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← All Lessons 26–50

Minna no Nihongo - Lesson 32

Complete Grammar Lesson

Advice with ~たほうがいいです, predictions with ~でしょう, possibility with ~かもしれません, probability adverbs, indefinite expressions such as 何か・誰か・どこか・いつか, and quantity + で.

Core idea of Lesson 32: this lesson teaches how to talk about what someone should do, what will probably happen, what might happen, and how certain or uncertain you are about a situation.

Lesson 32 at a glance

Vたほうがいいです

You should / it is better to do.

Vないほうがいいです

You should not / it is better not to do.

~でしょう

Probably / I expect that...

~かもしれません

Maybe / might / perhaps.

1. Vたほうがいいです / Vないほうがいいです

Verb た-form + ほうがいいです Verb ない-form + ほうがいいです

These patterns are used to give advice or a recommendation.

Vたほうがいいです
= You should do it.
= It would be better to do it.
Vないほうがいいです
= You should not do it.
= It would be better not to do it.

Quit smoking

Karada ni warui desu kara, tabako o yameta hō ga ii desu.

Smoking is bad for your health, so you should quit.

Reserve early

Natsuyasumi wa hoteru ga komimasu kara, hayaku yoyaku shita hō ga ii desu.

Hotels get crowded during summer vacation, so you should reserve early.

Go to the hospital

Have you had a fever since yesterday? You should go to a hospital.

Do not overwork

Are you feeling unwell? You should not push yourself too hard.

Why does the positive form use the past た-form?

In this grammar, Vたほうがいい is a fixed advice pattern. The た-form does not mean that the action already happened.

This does not mean “It was better that you slept early.” In normal advice context, it means “You should go to bed early.”

Be careful: this advice can sound strong

~たほうがいいです can sound fairly direct. It is natural when the speaker genuinely believes the recommendation is important, such as health, safety, travel preparation, or practical advice.

If you are not close to the listener and want to sound softer, you can use expressions such as:

I think it might be a good idea to get a little exercise.

Nuance: do not use ~たほうがいいです for every casual suggestion. It may sound like “I think this is what you really should do.”

More real-life examples

You have an early start tomorrow, so you should go to bed now.

This road is dark at night, so you should not walk there alone.

You should check your passport before traveling.

2. ~でしょう — “probably / I expect that...”

Plain form + でしょう

~でしょう expresses a prediction or judgment that the speaker believes is fairly likely.

Word type Before でしょう Example
Verb Plain form
い-adjective Plain form
な-adjective Stem + でしょう
Noun Noun + でしょう
With nouns and な-adjectives, do not put before でしょう.

Weather prediction

Yūgata ni wa ame ga yamu deshō.

The rain will probably stop by evening.

Prediction from a situation

There is a meeting this afternoon, so the department manager is probably busy.

Amount prediction

For a two-week trip, 50,000 yen will probably be enough.

Judging from symptoms

You've had a fever for three days? It's probably influenza.

How certain is でしょう?

It usually expresses a prediction that the speaker considers reasonably likely. It is not absolute certainty.

Simple learning scale:
きっと ~でしょう → quite confident
たぶん ~でしょう → probably
~かもしれません → maybe / might

3. ~でしょうか — “do you think...?” / “I wonder...”

Plain form + でしょうか

In question form, ~でしょうか can ask for the listener's judgment when the speaker is uncertain or concerned. Depending on context, it may also express “I wonder...”

Densha ni maniau deshō ka.

Do you think we'll make the train?

One ingredient is missing. Do you think it'll be okay like that?

In polite Japanese, でしょうか is often softer than a very direct question. It is useful when you are asking for an opinion or judgment rather than a simple factual yes/no answer.

4. ~かもしれません — “might / may / perhaps”

Plain form + かもしれません

~かもしれません expresses a possibility. The speaker is less certain than with ~でしょう.

Word type Example
Verb
い-adjective
な-adjective
Noun
Just like with でしょう, nouns and な-adjectives do not use だ before かもしれません.

A guest might come

I'll clean up a little. A guest might come.

It might be cold

I'll take a coat. It might be cold in the evening.

There might be no parking

I'll go by train. There might not be a parking space.

A person may be strict

My father is very strict, so he may not help me.

Plain conversational form: ~かもしれない

In ordinary conversation, the plain form ~かもしれない is extremely common.

It might rain tomorrow.

Do not confuse かもしれません with a firm prediction. It deliberately leaves room for the possibility that the opposite is also true.

5. Adverbs that show probability

Japanese often combines probability expressions with adverbs that show how confident the speaker is.

Adverb Approximate meaning Common pairing
surely / very probably ~でしょう
probably / maybe ~でしょう / ~とおもいます
possibly / perhaps ~かもしれません

きっと

Serena practices that much, so she will surely/probably win the match.

たぶん

It's already time. The teacher will probably come.

もしかしたら

I have to write a report. I might not be able to go to the party.

These are useful learning pairings, not mathematical percentages. Real speakers choose them based on context, evidence, tone, and personal confidence.

6. 何か・誰か・どこか・いつか — indefinite expressions

Question words can combine with to create indefinite meanings.

Question word + か Meaning
something
someone
somewhere
sometime / someday

These expressions can also modify a noun or be followed by a longer descriptive phrase.

Something worrying

Nanika shinpai na koto ga aru n desu ka.

Is something worrying you? / Is there something you're worried about?

Someone I don't know

I received chocolates from someone I don't know.

Somewhere with a good restaurant

Is there a good restaurant somewhere? / Do you know any good restaurant?

Someday

Let's meet someday when you come to Tokyo.

Do not confuse ~か with ~も

Someone is there.

No one is there.

With negative sentences, 誰も・何も・どこにも often mean “nobody / nothing / nowhere,” while 誰か・何か・どこか mean “someone / something / somewhere.”

7. Quantity + で — “with / for / within that amount”

Quantity / Amount / Time + で + Verb

The particle can indicate the amount, price, number, or time within which something is possible or completed.

Think of it as: “using this amount,” “within this amount,” or “for this amount.” The exact English translation changes according to context.

Price limit

Jūman-en de gēmingu pasokon ga kaemasu ka.

Can I buy a gaming computer for 100,000 yen?

Time limit

Can you fix the car in one hour?

Quantity

Will 100 copies/sheets be enough?

Number of people

Can this work be done with three people?

8. Important comparisons

でしょう vs かもしれません

Expression Feeling Example
~でしょう Speaker thinks it is fairly likely.
~かもしれません It is one possibility; speaker is less certain.

“It will probably rain tomorrow.”

“It might rain tomorrow.”

~たほうがいい vs ~たらいい

Expression Typical nuance
Vたほうがいいです Direct advice: “You should...”
Vたらいいです / Vたらいいとおもいます Softer suggestion: “It might be a good idea if...”

You should go to a hospital.

I think it might be a good idea to rest a little.

9. Real-life mini conversations

Health advice

A: I've had a headache since yesterday.

B: Then you shouldn't push yourself today. You should go home early.

Weather planning

A: I wonder if we can go on a picnic tomorrow.

B: It might rain in the morning, but it will probably clear up in the afternoon.

Travel budget

A: Can I stay for two nights with 30,000 yen?

B: It'll probably be okay, but hotels might be expensive on weekends.

10. Common mistakes

Mistake 1: using dictionary form before ほうがいい for positive advice

Mistake 2: putting だ before でしょう with nouns / な-adjectives

Mistake 3: putting だ before かもしれません

Mistake 4: treating でしょう and かもしれません as identical
でしょう usually suggests a stronger expectation than かもしれません.
Mistake 5: using ~たほうがいい for every small suggestion
The pattern can sound strong. For softer suggestions, consider .

11. Quick cheat sheet

Grammar Core meaning Example
Vたほうがいいです You should do...
Vないほうがいいです You should not do...
~でしょう Probably / I expect...
~でしょうか Do you think...? / I wonder...
~かもしれません Might / maybe
きっと Surely / very probably
たぶん Probably
もしかしたら Possibly
何か・誰か・どこか・いつか Something / someone / somewhere / sometime
Quantity + で Within / for / with that amount

12. Practice

A. Give advice

  1. You have a high fever. → You should go to the hospital.
  2. This road is dangerous at night. → You should not walk alone.
  3. Hotels are crowded in August. → You should reserve early.

B. Choose でしょう or かもしれません

  1. The weather report says there is a 90% chance of rain. → It will probably rain.
  2. You are not sure whether Tanaka will come. → Tanaka might come.
  3. The manager has meetings all afternoon. → He is probably busy.

C. Complete the indefinite expression

  1. (something)
  2. (someone)
  3. (somewhere)
  4. (someday)

Sample answers — other completions that fit the situation are also correct.

D. Translate into Japanese

  1. You should rest today.
  2. It will probably be cold tomorrow.
  3. There might be no parking space.
  4. Can I buy it for 20,000 yen?
  5. Do you think we'll make it in time?

Sample answers — other natural wordings are also correct.

13. Final memory map

I recommend that you do it.

I recommend that you do not do it.

I think this is probably what will happen.

This is one possible outcome.

something / someone / somewhere / sometime.

within / for / using that amount.