~Kamo Shiremasen
~Kamo Shiremasen is to be placed at the end of a sentence that represents that something may be carried out
Example
Q : Kobayashi san mo kimasu ka – Is Kobayashi also coming?
A : Saa, konai kamo shiremasen – Well, maybe he is not coming
Q : Mō 2 ji 50 bun desu ga, mada Toni san ga kimasen – It’s already 2.50 but Tony have not come yet
A : Jaa, 3 ji no densha ni (maniau) maniawanai kamo shiremasen – So, we may not be able to take the 3 o’clock train
Q : Kono kamera wa (kowareru) kowarete iru yō desu yo – This camera is most probably spoilt
A : Hontō desu ka. Jaa, kono aida otōtō ga (tsukau) tsukatta toki, (kowasu) kowashita kamo shiremasen – Really. So brother may be the one who spoilt it when he was using it last time
Q : Kuruma ga (ugoku) ugokanai desu ga – The car is unable to move
A : Batteri– ga (agaru) agatta kamo shiremasen. Sugu mi ni ikimasu. – The battery may be downed. I have to take look now.
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April 29th, 2007 at 12:49 am
I encountered that car breakdown sentence in Pimsleur II and just spent 20 minutes looking for ugoku in this context. Nowhere else have I found the use with this meaning.
You’re helping me so much — thanks (again!)!
April 29th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Hi Fluzam,
It’s my pleasure. I’m glad you got the infos here.
October 26th, 2011 at 9:17 am
does this form always use the negative form of shiremasu ? what does kamo and shiremasu mean by themselves ?
October 26th, 2011 at 11:16 am
“kamo shiremasen” is verb. Shireru (知れる) / shiremasu means “become known”
January 28th, 2012 at 10:05 am
toni-san,
Kono kamera wa kowarete iru yō desu yo
what’s the use and/or meaning of yō in this sentence??
can’t we just say “Kono kamera wa kowarete iru desu yo”?
and some more question, what is the the meaning of
~yō ni?is it “i wish”?
the last, Mō 2 ji 50 bun desu ga, mada Toni san ga kimasen. why “ga kimasen”, not wa kimasen??
thank you so much, indeed your blog is awesome..
January 28th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Hi Muna,
yō desu is “most probably” or “seems like…” meaning that you are unsure but most probably spoilt in the above example. Without the “yō”, it means you are very sure it is spoilt.
“yō ni” is a little complicated. It is something like as though, so that.
As for “ga” & “wa”, it is even more complicated. Read through here for more info : http://nihongo.anthonet.com/difference-between-wa-and-ga/
January 30th, 2012 at 11:46 am
thanks for your reply Tony, that was really fast.
so i assume from your answer ~yō ni means (al)though, right?
Tony-san, can you teach me how to make impolite prohibited form of a sentence, for example nakuna?
and some examples as well please..
i’ve been wondering since long time ago but couldn’t find the answer yet
Arigatō gozaimasu
January 30th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Hi Muna,
For easy understanding and translating from English, ~yō ni is something like you want to make sure you are going to make it happen. Example: Eigakan ni iku ~yō ni shimasu – I’ll go (make sure I am going) to the theater.
As for impolite form, there is a lesson explaining how to convert from polite to impolite form : http://nihongo.anthonet.com/verbs/