かも知れない

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 (ka, 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 (し)れない (shirenai, literally “cannot be known”) of the verb 知 (し)る (shiru, “to know something”), all together literally meaning “it can't even be known whether [preceding statement]”.[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) か​もしれない [káꜜmò shìrènàì] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [ka̠ mo̞ ɕiɾe̞na̠i]

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