まい (mai) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Never Again

Author Anna Baffa Volpe for article 'まい (mai) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Never Again'

Anna Baffa Volpe

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まい (mai) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Never Again

The term まい (mai) can be translated in various ways: probably isn't, probably doesn't, won't, must not or don't intend to.

The structure with まい is used in sentences with negative meaning.

There are two main uses for it: assumptions about facts and people and a strong willingness not to do something.


How まい is formed

We use まい with verbs Ichidan and Godan as follows:

Verb Ichidan without る+まい
食べる
食べ
食べ
食べまい

Won't eat

It is also commonly used the dictionary form, so we can find the form: 食べるまい

Verb Godan in the dictionary form+まい
行く
行くまい

Won't go

The irregular verbs:

  • する can be used with まい and has also the forms しまい and すまい
  • ()る becomes ()まい

How and when まい is used

まい is considered an auxiliary verb and it is used in negative contexts.

The sentence containing まい has a negative meaning. It is the opposite of Volitional Form. まい expresses the willingness to deny, ()(てい)()()

もう()()とタバコを()うまいと(ちか)った。

I vowed never to smoke again.

In this case the expression can be replaced by しないつもりだ I'm not going to do it, I will never do

(けっ)して(なま)(もの)にはなるまい。

Never be a slothful person.

「なるまい」means 「そうならないようにするつもりだ」: we intend to make sure that does not happen.

(こん)(かい)はあれを()(かえ)すまい。

This time we won't repeat that.

()()と + Negative Verb form means I won't ... again, never again

()()()くまい。

I won't never go there again.

もうこの(さか)(のぼ)()りすることは()()とあるまい。

I will never climb up and down this hill again.

(りょう)(きん)(たか)いし、サービスは(さい)(あく)だし、もう()()とあんな(みせ)()くまい。

The prices are too high and the service is terrible, I'll never go back to that restaurant again.

(だい)()()(けん)(まえ)だから(あそ)びに()くまい。

It's before an important exam, so I won't go out.

Assumptions

We use まい when from the observation of facts and our perceptions, we assume that a fact does not occur. ()(てい)(すい)(りょう) negative supposition

(かれ)()うことなんて、(だれ)(しん)じまい。

No one believes what he says.

Everyone knows that he usually lies.

この()(かん)だと、さすがに(しゅう)(でん)には()()うまい。

At this time, I won't be in time for the last train.

ないだろう can be used in the case of negative inference 

(かれ)はもう()まい。

He won't come back again.

Or we can say:

(かれ)はもう()ないだろう。

He won't come back again.

(けっ)してこれより(わる)くなるまい。

It can never get worse than this.

()(ども)はこんな(から)いものは()べまい。

Children won't eat such spicy food.

~ようか/うか and ~まいか: I'm not sure whether ... or not

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