もしか

も

し

か

Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

usually written using kana alone

Used in conditional expressions, often as part of もしかして or もしかすると, meaning 'perhaps' or 'if by any chance'.

もしかして、彼かれはもう来きているかもしれない。
Perhaps he has already arrived.
もしかすると、雨あめが降ふるかもしれないから傘かさを持もって行いこう。
In case it rains, let's take an umbrella.

See all 47 example sentences ›

Expressions

もしかしたらperhaps; maybe; by any chance

Kanji

若young, if, perhaps

Related words

もしN4
もし is the plain, general word for 'if', while もしか is a softer form used mainly in set phrases like もしかして to express a tentative guess.
ひょっとして
ひょっとして and もしか both hint at an unexpected possibility, but ひょっとして stands alone more naturally while もしか almost always needs して/すると/したら attached.
ひょっとN1
もしか is another bound adverb that, like ひょっと, mainly appears combined with すると/したら/して to hedge a guess, though もしか sounds slightly more common in casual speech.

Word family

もしかしてN1
perhaps; maybe; by any chance · if; in case; in the event that
もしかするとN2
perhaps; possibly; maybe

Etymology

Derived from もし (if) with the addition of か (question marker), forming a tentative conditional expression.