Other meanings of でしょう besides "probably"


でしょう can usually be understood to mean "probably." But does it sometimes mean
the same thing as ですね? What other meanings can it have? Can it mean "you
know?"




Aside from the meaning of "probably", I've heard でしょう (だろう) used in the
following manners:

  1. In polite speech, でしょうか can replace ですか. でしょうか sounds "softer" and a little less direct:

> この色【いろ】はいかがですか。 How about this color?
>
> この色【いろ】はいかが **でしょう** か。 How about this color? (slightly more polite)
>
> ちょっと分【わ】かりにくいですかね。 Do you suppose it's somewhat hard to follow?
>
> ちょっと分【わ】かりにくい **でしょう** かね。 Do you suppose it's somewhat hard to follow?
> (slightly more polite)

  2. でしょう and だろう can be used like ね to form tag questions, primarily when the speaker knows something to be true and is using it to prove a point to or convince the listener of some fact. This use of でしょう often has a rising intonation:

> で、帰【かえ】ったときに携帯【けいたい】はかばんに入【はい】ってなかった **だろう** ？ So when you got back, your
> cell wasn't in your bag, right?
>
> 言【い】った **でしょう** ？明日【あした】、東京【とうきょう】に行【い】くって。 I told you, didn't I? That I'd
> be going to Tokyo tomorrow.

The question particle か is omitted in this use. In my experience, you're more
likely to find だろう being used by men and でしょう by women here, but the split is
not well defined, as both are fairly gender-neutral.




Aside from the meaning of "probably", I've heard でしょう (だろう) used in the
following manners:

  1. In polite speech, でしょうか can replace ですか. でしょうか sounds "softer" and a little less direct:

> この色【いろ】はいかがですか。 How about this color?
>
> この色【いろ】はいかが **でしょう** か。 How about this color? (slightly more polite)
>
> ちょっと分【わ】かりにくいですかね。 Do you suppose it's somewhat hard to follow?
>
> ちょっと分【わ】かりにくい **でしょう** かね。 Do you suppose it's somewhat hard to follow?
> (slightly more polite)

  2. でしょう and だろう can be used like ね to form tag questions, primarily when the speaker knows something to be true and is using it to prove a point to or convince the listener of some fact. This use of でしょう often has a rising intonation:

> で、帰【かえ】ったときに携帯【けいたい】はかばんに入【はい】ってなかった **だろう** ？ So when you got back, your
> cell wasn't in your bag, right?
>
> 言【い】った **でしょう** ？明日【あした】、東京【とうきょう】に行【い】くって。 I told you, didn't I? That I'd
> be going to Tokyo tomorrow.

The question particle か is omitted in this use. In my experience, you're more
likely to find だろう being used by men and でしょう by women here, but the split is
not well defined, as both are fairly gender-neutral.

