How to politely say "I wonder..."


In Japanese, when speaking casually, if I want to say I wonder if that
computer was expensive, I believe, I would say

> そのコンピューターは高かったかな

But how do you say "I wonder if that computer was expensive" more politely?




The basic strategy of phrasing a straight question as a non-question (or an
implicit question) to make it polite works in Japanese, too, by making it less
pressing for an answer.

  * そのコンピューターはきっと高かったのでしょうね。
  * そのコンピューターはきっと高かったでしょうね。
  * そのコンピューターはきっと高かったでしょう。

A falling tone would make it sound even less like a question. A rising tone
does not necessarily make it less polite, however. I think it depends more on
whether you actually want an answer or not.




The basic strategy of phrasing a straight question as a non-question (or an
implicit question) to make it polite works in Japanese, too, by making it less
pressing for an answer.

  * そのコンピューターはきっと高かったのでしょうね。
  * そのコンピューターはきっと高かったでしょうね。
  * そのコンピューターはきっと高かったでしょう。

A falling tone would make it sound even less like a question. A rising tone
does not necessarily make it less polite, however. I think it depends more on
whether you actually want an answer or not.

