Adverb (Intermediate ㊥ 165)
An adverb that indicates the speaker's strong belief that something is not expected to (have) become a reality.
Equivalent: Incredible; never thought; never dreamed; surely not; impossible; don't tell me that ~; not at all likely; absolutely not.
| (i) まさかSとは | {思わなかった/考えてもみなかった} | |
| まさか雪が降るとは{思わなかった/考えてもみなかった} | {I didn’t believe/I never though} that it would snow | |
| (ii) まさかS | {んじゃ/のでは} ないだろうね | |
| まさか会社を辞める{んじゃ/のでは}ないだろうね | Don’t tell me that you are going to quit the company | |
| (iii) まさかS | はずがない | |
| まさか四月に雪が降るはずがない | It is not at all likely that it will snow in April | |
| (iv) まさかS | まい | |
| まさか雪は降るまい | Don’t tell me it’s going to snow |
