おそらく details
in all likelihood — the speaker rates the odds rather than committing, in careful register + write
osoraku kaku
in all likelihood — the speaker rates the odds rather than committing, in careful register
meaning: will most likely write
この空模様では、午後からおそらく降るだろう。
kono soramoyou de wa, gogo kara osoraku furu darou.
By the look of the sky, it will most likely rain from the afternoon. neutral
その日程では、おそらく無理です。
sono nittei de wa, osoraku muri desu.
With that schedule, it most likely won't work. neutral
- dictionary form
- i-adjective
- na-adjective
- noun
- alternant
Examples
in all likelihood — the speaker's estimate, offered in writing or careful speech
この空模様では、午後からおそらく降るだろう。
kono soramoyou de wa, gogo kara osorakufuru darou.
By the look of the sky, it will most likely rain from the afternoon. neutral
その日程では、おそらく無理です。
sono nittei de wa, osoraku muri desu.
With that schedule, it most likely won't work. neutral
不具合の原因は、おそらく設定の誤りかと存じます。
fuguai no gen'in wa, osoraku settei no ayamari ka to zonjimasu.
The cause of the fault is most likely a mistake in the settings. formal
今年の冬は、おそらく例年より寒いでしょう。
kotoshi no fuyu wa, osoraku reinen yori samui deshou.
This winter will most likely be colder than usual. neutral
恐らく彼は、その知らせをもう受け取っている。
osoraku kare wa, sono shirase o mou uketotte iru.
He has most likely received that notice already. neutral
Formation
おそらく{V}attaches to dictionary formおそらく{I}attaches to i-adjectiveおそらく{NA-stem}だattaches to na-adjectiveおそらく{N}だattaches to noun
Variant notes
- 恐らく — the kanji spelling, common in print and in formal correspondence; the kana shape is the safer default, since the 恐 does no work the word still means.
Related patterns
Similar
One estimate, two registers — おそらく belongs to reports, proposals and business mail, たぶん to conversation; dropping たぶん into a written recommendation reads as a shrug, and おそらく in casual chat reads as a lecture.
きっと can be pure hope and belongs to spoken encouragement; おそらく weighs evidence and belongs to writing, so おそらく大丈夫だよ reads as an assessment handed to a worried person rather than as comfort.
に違いない claims the conclusion is forced by the evidence and leaves the speaker no room to be wrong; おそらく names a likelihood and keeps that room, which is why a cautious report prefers it.
Combines with
おそらく leans on a conjectural ending far more than きっと does — おそらく〜だろう／でしょう is the ordinary pairing — but it needs no tail to stand, since おそらく無理です is complete as it is.