〜まい
JLPT N3:will not / surely not
A formal, literary negative: "will never…" for the speaker's resolve, or "surely won't…" for a guess.
How to form it
- godan verbs add まい to the dictionary form: 行くまい.
- ichidan verbs add まい to the dictionary form or to the stem: 食べるまい, 食べまい.
- する becomes するまい or すまい, and 来る becomes 来るまい or 来まい.
- With the speaker as subject, it is a resolve: 二度と嘘はつくまい (I will never lie again). Otherwise it is usually a guess: 彼は来るまい (he surely won't come).
Examples
二度と嘘はつくまい。
I will never lie again.
こんな天気では、誰も来るまい。
Nobody is likely to come in weather like this.
Notes
- 〜ようと〜まいと means "whether or not": 行こうと行くまいと (whether I go or not).
- In conversation, use ないつもりだ or ないだろう instead.