恐らく
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Japanese[edit]
Kanji in this term |
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恐 |
おそ Grade: S |
kun’yomi |
Etymology[edit]
Abbreviation of 恐らくは (osoraku wa), itself a contraction of obsolete 恐るらくは (osoruraku wa), composed of 恐る (osoru, “to fear”, obsolete earlier form of modern 恐れる (osoreru)) + らく (-raku, “state, act, or fact of doing”, nominalizing suffix) + は (wa, topic particle).[1][2] Compare English use of the term afraid, as in the phrases “I'm afraid so”, or “I'm afraid that ...”, to express a sense of probably.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adverb[edit]
Usage notes[edit]
- Usually written in hiragana.
- The term osoraku expresses a higher degree of certainty than tabun.
- Often used when predicting a negative outcome.
Synonyms[edit]
- 十中八九 (jutchū hakku): literally “eight or nine times out of ten”: in all likelihood
- 多分 (tabun): maybe, perhaps, probably
- きっと (kitto)