かもしれない

か

も

し

れ

な

い

Common wordJLPTN3

Meanings

expression

may; might; perhaps; possibly

usually written using kana alone

Expresses uncertainty or possibility. Attaches to the plain form of verbs, adjectives, and nouns. Often used in everyday conversation and writing.

明日あしたは雨あめが降ふるかもしれない。
It may rain tomorrow.
彼かれはもう家いえに帰かえったかもしれない。
He might have already gone home.

Grammar

かもしれないmight; maybeN4

Kanji

知know, wisdom

Related words

だろう
だろう expresses a stronger conjecture or probability, while かも知れない indicates a weaker, more tentative possibility.
多た分ぶんN5
たぶん is an adverb meaning 'probably' that often pairs with だろう or かも知れない to add emphasis to the guess.
かもしれん
かもしれない is the standard, neutral form for expressing possibility, while かもしれん is a casual contraction often used by male speakers or in rough/informal speech.
かもしれません
かもしれません is the polite form used in formal speech or writing, while かもしれない is the plain form used with friends or in casual writing, both meaning 'may/might'.

Politeness

でしょうpolite 丁寧語
でしょう is the polite/formal counterpart of だろう, used in the same conjectural sense as かも知れない but in more formal speech.
かもplain
かも is the casual, clipped form used in speech, while かもしれない is the fuller, more formal expression of the same 'might/may' meaning.

Etymology

A phrase composed of the particle か (question marker), the particle も (also), and the negative potential form of the verb 知る (to know), literally meaning 'cannot know whether'. It has become a fixed expression for possibility.