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Grammar detail: 〜ではないだろうか

〜ではないだろうか  could it be that ~; might it be that ~
81 words
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noun
+
ではないだろうか
means
could it be that ~; might it be that ~
あの
ひと
わたし
たち
あたら
しい
せんせい
先生
ないだろう
He might be our new teacher.
けんさ
検査
てお
手落
あったないだろう
I suspect that there was an oversight in the examination.
Other patterns:
verb plain
+
のではないだろうか
い adjective
+
のではないだろうか
な adjective
+
+
のではないだろうか
たく
みせ
りあつかっている
ぼうし
帽子
じみ
地味
すぎて
ちている
ではないでしょう
Might the reason for the drop in sales not be that the hats your store carries are too plain?
もめん
木綿
たか
この
きじ
生地
すればもっともうけになる
おも
っていた
ではないだろう
I imagine she chose this material because cotton is expensive and she thought she could make more profit this way.
When speaking politely でしょうか should be used rather than だろうか, as can be seen in the next example. It is also a useful expression to make suggestions to people that may require a level of sensitivity. This is also demonstrated in the next example.
しゃか
釈迦
せっぽう
説法
ぞん
じます
いしゃ
医者
きんえん
禁煙
された
ほうよろしいないでしょ
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you this, but wouldn't it be a good idea to stop smoking?
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Kanji used in this grammar

ジン   ニン   ひと person   
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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シン   あたらしい    あら    にい- new   
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セン   さき ahead   
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セイ   ショウ    life   なま raw   いかす to enliven   いきる to live   いける to arrange flowers   うまれる to be born   う to give birth to   き pure, undiluted   お to grow, to sprout   はえる to grow, to sprout   はやす to grow, cultivate   
ケン    investigation   
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サ    investigation   
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シュ   hand   て    た-    
ラク   おちる to fall   おとす to drop (something)   
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タク    home   
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テン   みせ shop   
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シュ   と to take   
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ボウ    cap   
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シ   ス   こ child   
チ   ジ    ground   
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ミ   あじ taste   あじわう to taste   
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バイ   う to sell   うれる to be selling; be in demand   
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ジョウ   ショウ   うえ above   うわ- above   あげる to raise   あがる to rise   かみ first half, upper part   のぼ to climb   のぼせる to bring up, to raise   のぼ to bring up   
モク   ボク   き    こ- tree   
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綿
メン   わた cotton   
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コウ   expensive; high   たか    たか expensive, tall, high   たかまる to be elevated   たかめる to promote, heighten   
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シ   おも to think   
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シャク    explanation   
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カ   (no meaning)
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セツ   ゼイ   と to explain, persuade   
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ホウ   ハッ   ホッ    method   
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ソン   ゾン    suppose   
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イ    doctor   
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シャ   もの person, someone   
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キン    prohibition   
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エン   けむり smoke   けむ to smoke (chimney etc.)   けむ smoky   
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