Grammar › Nuance › だろう・でしょう
だろう・でしょう
One ending, two jobs. Say it with a falling tone and it's a guess — "probably". Lift the pitch at the end and it turns to the listener — "…right?".
The short version
Attach でしょう (polite) or だろう (plain) to a plain form — verbs, adjectives, even a bare noun. Falling tone = conjecture ("I'd guess / probably"). Rising tone = a tag question ("isn't it? / right?") inviting the listener to agree. The intonation alone decides.
でしょう — "probably" (a soft guess)
Falling, でしょう hedges a claim: you're not certain, just reckoning. It's the register of weather forecasts (晴れるでしょう, "it should clear up") and of politely wondering out loud.
でしょう？ — "right?" (fishing for a yes)
Rising, the same word flips outward: you're fairly sure and want the listener to nod along. It's how you say "see? I told you" or check that you're both on the same page.
Watch out
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