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JLPT N3 · Guessing & hearsay

まさか (masaka)

まさか — no way, surely not

In short · An adverb expressing surprise at, or strong doubt about, something thought impossible. Typical forms are まさか~とは思わなかった and まさか~ないだろう.
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Pattern

  • まさか+普通形+とは(思わなかった) まさか + plain form + とは
  • まさか+V普通形+ないだろう まさか + negative guess

Meaning

まさか彼が来るとは思わなかった expresses surprise that someone came when you thought he never would. まさか雨は降らないだろう expresses a strong expectation that it will not rain.

When to use

For surprise at something that happened (past) and for the expectation that something will not happen (future). The sentence often ends with とは or continues with ~思わなかった or ~ないだろう. It reflects the speaker's emotion, so it does not suit objective reports.

Examples

  • まさか彼(かれ)が来(く)るとは思(おも)わなかった。

    Masaka kare ga kuru to wa omowanakatta.

    I never imagined he would come.

  • まさかこんな所(ところ)で先生(せんせい)に会(あ)うとは。

    Masaka konna tokoro de sensei ni au to wa.

    I never dreamed I'd run into my teacher in a place like this.

  • まさか雨(あめ)が降(ふ)るとは思(おも)わず、傘(かさ)を忘(わす)れてしまった。

    Masaka ame ga furu to wa omowazu, kasa o wasurete shimatta.

    Not thinking it would possibly rain, I ended up forgetting my umbrella.

Common mistakes

  • Do not use it with a positive guess: まさか行くだろう is wrong. It goes with negative expectations.
  • In the question form まさか~か it shows surprise or doubt, so be careful in polite situations.

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