Certainty Signal
Epistemic modality
Evidential adverb
Stance marker
How sure is the speaker?
extended
intermediate
Speaker stance
Signification
A signal of certainty, probability, doubt, assumption, hearsay, inference, or confidence.
Comment le repérer
Look for words like certainly, probably, maybe, apparently.
Exemples
Mots
certainly|probably|maybe|apparently|surely
Expressions
probably true|maybe later|apparently finished
Phrase
She is probably at home.
Visual guide
Basic shape
claim: She is at home.
^
certainty layer:
how sure is speaker?
maybe -> probably -> certainly
low mid high
Compare shape
Where can E07 live? adverb: probably particle: maybe modal verb: MOD + verb verb/mood: CERT-form same job: confidence
Vue par langue
Dans votre langue
French (standard)
Présence
strong
Importance
Certainty is expressed with adverbs, modal verbs, conditionals, and discourse markers.
Elle est probablement déjà partie.
She probably already left.
Dans la langue d’apprentissage
Japanese
Présence
strong
Difficulté
Certainty is marked by adverbs and sentence-final forms such as だろう.
彼女はたぶん家にいる。
She is probably at home.
Difficulté fréquente
Learners may miss the strength difference between たぶん, きっと and でしょう.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.