JLPT N3EverydayDisbelief

まさかsurely not; I never thought

まさか opens a sentence about something you can hardly believe. The ending says whether it happened, against all you expected, or surely isn't so.

it happened

まさか親しん友ゆうまで反はん対たいするとは思おもわなかった。

I never thought even my best friend would be against it.

surely not

こんなに晴はれているんだから、まさか雨あめは降ふらないだろう。

It's this sunny, so surely it won't rain.

It happened

まさか + plain form + とは思おもわなかった

Conversation often has なんて for とは. The sentence can stop there: まさか…とは, まさか…なんて.

Surely not

まさか + negative + だろう／でしょう

Also はずがない or わけがない. As a question, まさか…じゃないよね is "don't tell me…".

No way!

まさか！

By itself, as a reply.

Tone: Shock or disbelief, not a calm guess. A plain "probably not" is たぶん…ないだろう.
Where you'll meet it: Conversation, novels and dramas, sports reports.

In use

まさか、こんな所ところで会あうとは。

I never thought I would run into you here.

まさか、試し験けんが中ちゅう止しになるなんて！

I can't believe the exam has been canceled!

まさか、財さい布ふを忘わすれたんじゃないよね？

Don't tell me you forgot your wallet.

You suspect it, and hope you are wrong.

まさか！ as a reply

By itself it is "No way!" at news you can't believe. Between friends うそ！ says the same. うそ！ is casual: to a teacher or a boss, people say 本ほん当とうですか in its place.

A

聞きいた？田た中なかさん、会かい社しゃを辞やめるんだって。

Did you hear? Tanaka is quitting the company, apparently.

B

えっ、まさか！

What? No way!

It also answers a wrong guess about you: "Of course not!"

A

このケーキ、一人ひとりで全ぜん部ぶ食たべたの？

Did you eat this whole cake by yourself?

B

まさか。弟おとうとと二人ふたりで食たべたよ。

Of course not. My little brother and I ate it together.

まさかの before a noun

まさかの is "that nobody saw coming": まさかの逆ぎゃく転てん, a comeback against all the odds. It is common in sports reports and headlines, and people say it too.

四し月がつにまさかの大おお雪ゆきで、電でん車しゃが止とまった。

Heavy snow in April, of all things, stopped the trains.

Close neighbours

はずがないN4

A reasoned "it can't be", from what you know. まさか often stands in front of it.

このかばんは空からだから、重おもいはずがない。

This bag is empty, so it can't be heavy.

わけがないN3

A flat "there's no way". As a reply, そんなわけない says the news can't be right; まさか！ is a cry of disbelief.

そんなわけないよ。先せん月げつ、課か長ちょうになったばかりなのに。

No way. He only just became section chief last month.

Said back to the same news: Tanaka is quitting.

とても～ないN3

"Can't possibly", for what is beyond you to do. まさか is for what you can't believe.

こんなにたくさん、とても食たべられません。

I couldn't possibly eat this much.

Check yourself

1What happened?

まさか自じ分ぶんが選えらばれるとは思おもわなかった。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which ending fits?

こんなに安やすいんだから、まさか（　　）。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

まさかの時とき is a set phrase: "if the worst should happen".

まさかの時ときのために、少すこしずつ貯ちょ金きんしている。

I'm saving a little at a time in case the worst happens.

More sentences

まさか自じ分ぶんが合ごう格かくするなんて、思おもわなかった。

I never thought I would pass.

あんなにまじめな人ひとが、まさかうそをつくはずがない。

Someone that honest? There's no way he would lie.

彼かれもまさか本ほん気きではあるまい。

Surely he isn't serious.

まい is a written ないだろう.