かも知れない

Japanese

Kanji in this term
知
し
Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Alternative forms

  • かも (ka mo) (shortening)
  • かも知 (し)れません (ka mo shiremasen) (polite)
  • かも知 (し)んない (ka mo shinnai) (informal)

Etymology

This is a compound phrase of the interrogative particle か (used to form questions, also used as a coordinating particle similar to English whether), the inclusive particle も (mo, “even, also”) plus the negative potential non-past form 知れない (shirenai, literally “cannot be known”) of the verb 知る (しる, “to know something”), all together literally meaning “it can't even be known whether [preceding statement]”.[1]

Pronunciation

Particle

かも知れない (hiragana かもしれない, rōmaji ka mo shirenai)

  1. may, might, perhaps
    雨降 (あめふ)るかもしれない。
    Ame furu ka mo shirenai.
    It cannot even be known whether it will rain. → It might rain.

References

  1. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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