第265課: The Volitional II: The Negative Volitional: ～まい
The auxiliary verb まい is best known as the negative volitional auxiliary. It is essentially the opposite of ～ようだ, but historically it was viewed as the opposite of ～べし (=～べきだ). With the advent of ～ないだろう, its use in the spoken language has diminished quite a lot, but it is still used in several other grammatical patterns. It is also still fairly common in the written language. With that being said, let’s begin learning about it!
Conjugating with ～まい 「～まい」の接続
In Standard Japanese grammar, ～まい follows the 未然形 of 一段動詞, サ変動詞 (する), and カ変動詞 (来る), but it follows the 終止形 of 五段動詞. In polite speech, it is seen after the 終止形 of the auxiliary verb ～ます.
| Verb Class | Example |
| 一段動詞 | 食べまい |
| 五段動詞 | 言うまい |
| サ変動詞 | しまい |
| カ変動詞 | 来（こ）まい |
| 「～ます」 | ～ますまい |
Although these are the standardized conjugation rules, many speakers will attach ～まい to the 終止形 of all verbs, resulting in 見るまい (vs 見まい), するまい (vs しまい), 来るまい (vs こまい), etc. As for する, it is even possible to see the forms すまい (fairly common in literature) and even せまい (more old-fashioned). For the purpose of exams, it is best to utilize the standard conjugations shown above, but it is important to know that there is significant variation present in the speech of modern speakers.
Conjugating ～まい 「～まい」の活用
～まい, like all other auxiliary verbs, has its own bases. However, much has changed over time, and as a consequence, only its 終止形 and 連体形 remain.
| 終止形 | 連体形 |
| まい | まい |
※The 連体形 is only used with the nominalizers こと and もの.
Negative Volition 打ち消しの意志
The primary usage of ～まい is to show negative volition. This translates to “shall not” in English. This can be roughly reworded as ～ないようにするつもりだ. Although it isn’t that common in the spoken language, it is very succinct and it can be said that is more emphatic as an effect.
※Regarding the use of the verb する with this usage of ～まい, some speakers feel that すまい is more effective at expressing one’s intent (lack thereof) than しまい. This may be rooted in the fact that すまい has existed in this capacity for much longer as it descends from the classical form すまじ.
1. もう言うまい！
I shall say no more.
2. もう二度とそんな過ちは繰り返すまい。
I shall not make such a mistake again.
3. 債権者もそんな過酷な手段は認めますまい。
Not even the creditor would approve of such a cruel means.
4. 絶対に落第すまいぞ！
I will absolutely not fail!
5. じっと女の顔を見た刹那、わたしは男を殺さない限り、此処は去るまいと覚悟しました。
The moment I fixed my glance on the woman’s face, I was determined not to leave until I killed the man.
From 藪の中 by 芥川龍之介.
Negative Supposition 打ち消しの推量
The next usage of the auxiliary verb ～まい is to show what’s called ‘negative supposition.’ This means that the speaker supposes that something is not so. Thus, it is equivalent to ～ないだろう. ～ないだろう has almost entirely replaced ～まい in the spoken language, but it exists in this capacity in the speech of older generations and is still used heavily in literature. It is also possible to see this usage in polite speech as ～ますまい.
6. 知らなかったわけではあるまい。
It’s not that they didn’t know.
7. 妻の罪はそれだけではない。それだけならばこの闇の中に、今程おれも苦しみはしまい。
The wife’s crime wasn’t just that. If it were, I too wouldn’t be suffering as I am now in this darkness.
From 藪の中 by 芥川龍之介.
7. 兎に角わたしはどうしても、死に切る力がなかったのです。小刀を喉に突き立てたり、山の裾の池へ身を投げたり、いろいろな事もして見ましたが、死にきれずにこうしている限り、これも自慢にはなりますまい。
Anyway, in the end, I did not have the strength to really die. I had thrust the knife into my throat, thrown myself into the pond at the foot of the mountain, and all sorts of other things, but insofar I am like this unable to die, this too is surely nothing to boast.
From 藪の中 by 芥川龍之介.
8. その後の事を申し上げるだけ、無用の口数に過ぎますまい。
Merely speaking of what happened after would be no more than useless words.
From 藪の中 by 芥川龍之介.
9. 併し死刑の宣告を受けた人は、処刑の日を前知している代わりには、いよいよ刑に逢うまで、若し赦免になりはすまいか、偶然助かりはすまいか、奇蹟がありはすまいかなんぞと思っているのです。
However, for those who receive a death sentence, mustn’t they being hoping for a pardon, being suddenly saved, or even a miracle up until the moment they meet their punishment instead of knowing their execution date?
From 死 by 森鴎外.
10. いくら肉親の妹だって、姉の骨まで見たことはあるまいから、分かるもんか。
Even if it was your own little sister, you’d never understand since you’ve never seen your sister turned to bones.
From 死体紹介人 by 川端康成.
11. 「里子ちゃん、いらっしゃい。お雑煮のお餅を焼きましょうね。里子ちゃんも、お手つだいしてちょうだい。」などと言って、菊子は里子を台所へ呼び寄せ、信吾の寝部屋の廊下を走らせまいとするつもりらしいが、里子は聞く風もなく、ぺたぺた廊下を走りつづけた。
Kikuko had said, “Satoko-chan, come here. Let’s make some zoni mochi. Won’t you please help?” to call Satoko to the kitchen, and although it seemed she had intended for her not to run down the hall past Shingo’s bedroom, Satoko paid no heed to this and continued running down loudly through the hall.
From 山の音 by 川端康成.
12. 争いが無ければ、かかる嘆きはあるまいものを。
If there were no war, nay, there would be no such grief as this.
Grammar Note: ～ものを is a somewhat old-fashioned compound final particle which expresses lament.
Prohibition 禁止
Similar to the concept of showing negative volition, when used in the second person, ～まい may be used in the same sense as ～てはいけない. In doing so, it is usually followed by the final particle ぞ.
13. 迂闊なことは言うまいぞ。
You mustn’t speak absurdities.
14. 一兵たりとも逃がすまいぞ。
You mustn’t let a single soldier escape.
15. あとわずかだ、油断すまいぞ。
Just a little more; you mustn’t let your guard down.
16. 決して他人には漏らすまいぞ。
You absolutely mustn’t leak this to anyone.
～まいとする
～まいとする means “to try not to”. It is normally replaced by ～ないようにする. This paraphrase can also work for when する is not the verb phrase, but in this case, because using ～まい is a little more common in the spoken language, such a paraphrase is not necessary.
17. 笑うまいとしてもつい笑ってしまうだろう。
Even if you try not to laugh, you’ll eventually end up laughing.
18. 会うまいと決心した。
I decided that I wasn’t going to meet (him).
19. その時までは決して彼に会うまいと心に決めていた。
Until that time, I decided in my heart not to meet him by all means.
20. 彼女は眠るまいと決心していたが、結局眠りにつけてしまった。
She was resolute not to sleep, but she finally ended up falling asleep.
～でもあるまい & ～こともあるまい
The grammatical patterns ～でもあるまい and ～こともあるまい indicate an inappropriate situation. It is best translated as “it is not as if…” The critical, ironic, or belittling nuance that accompanies this phrase may be directed towards someone doing something inappropriate. If directed toward oneself, it gives off a strong self-deprecating tone.
21. ちょっと本当のことを言われたからと言って、何もそんなに怒ることはあるまい。
It’s inappropriate to be so mad just for being told the truth.
～こと[は・も]あるまい follows verbs whereas ～[では・でも・じゃ]あるまい follows nouns. You may also see this expression followed by the conjunctive particle し, and it is in this situation that ～まい is still commonly used in the spoken language.
22. 車で15分ほどの所に住む人は泊まりに行くこともあるまいし。
Besides, people wouldn’t go to stay who live 15 minutes away by car.
23. 子供じゃあるまいし、自分で買いなさい。
It’s not as if you’re a kid; buy it yourself.
Though somewhat less common these days, it is also see the final particle に follow these expressions to emphasize the speaker’s displeasure/dissatisfaction. In fact, ～まいに can be used to express any sort of negative supposition with this added nuance.
24. 黙っていれば言うこともあるまいに。
If you’d just stay quiet, you’d have nothing to say.
As you can see, negative supposition and the sense of prohibition are both at play here.
25. 馬鹿じゃあるまいし、そんなことをするな。
It’s not as if you’re an idiot, so don’t do that.
～ようが～まいが・～ようと～まいと
The grammar points ～(よ)うが～まいが and ～(よ)うと～まいと are used to mean “whether…or not…” There is no difference between the two, but they are both viewed as older equivalents to ～ても.
26. 真実であろうが真実であるまいが、まだ関係はない。
Whether it’s true or it’s not true, I still have no part in it.
27. 行こうと行くまいと僕の勝ちだ。
Even if you go or don’t go, it’s my victory.
28. 人が来ようと来まいとまだパーティーを開く。
Whether people come or not, I’m still going to throw a party.
～しようがしよまいが
Though this expression isn’t frequently used in the spoken language in Standard Japanese, in the dialects in and around Nagoya, it is used more frequently but with a twist. Speakers here, for instance, will say しようがしよまいが. It is possible to see this used with the particle と instead of が, but が is used extensively more, perhaps due to having better cadence.
29. PCR検査をしようがしよまいが、昨日愛知県で100人以上が新たに感染したことには変わりがない訳です。
Whether you take a COVID PCR test or not, that doesn’t change the fact that over 100 people were newly infected yesterday in Aichi Prefecture.
In fact, in these dialects the volitional conjugation 未然形 + ～(よ)う is altered entirely to 未然形 ＋ ～(よ)まい when followed by the particle か when inviting people to do something. ～まいか also exists in Standard Japanese with this same meaning, but it follows the conjugation rules from before. It must be noted that for 五段動詞, depending on the locality, speakers may choose to use either the /a/ or /o/ containing 未然形.
Ex. 行かまいか ＝ 行こまいか ＝ 行くまいか (Standard).
～まいか
As mentioned above, ～まいか may be used to express a request, albeit in an old-fashioned way. Or, it may also be interpreted the same way ～ないのだろうか? The difference is based on intonation. If there is an upward intonation, then it is interpreted as ～しないか, but when there is a downward intonation, it is interpreted as ～ないのだろうか.
30. 天気予報は雪だったが、このぶんだと、今日はもう降るまいか。
The weather forecast called for snow, but at this rate, there won’t be any snow today, huh.
31. 元々、魚がお好きなのじゃあるまいか。
Haven’t you liked fish from the start?
32. 寒いから毛布を持ってきてくれまいか。
It’s cold so could you bring me a blanket?
～あろうことかあるまいことか
Also seen as such in なろうことかなるまいことか, ～まい may also be used in the sense of ～すべきではない or ～するはずがない. This is perhaps the only time that the 連体形 of ～まい is actually used.
33. あるおうことかあるまいことか、新しく買った携帯を海に投げるなんて・・・
Of all things, throwing your newly bought phone into the ocean…
34. 自分の思い通りになろうことかなるまいことか、よく考えてみろ。
There’s no sense in thinking things will go your way; think about it.
～まじき
As we have learned, the 連体形 of ～まい is no longer really used in modern speech. However, the older 連体形, まじき, is actually more productive, surviving in the phrase あるまじき (unworthy/improper) and a handful of other phrases. This usage derives from the prohibition nuance.
35. あるまじき行為だ。
It is an improper act.
36. すまじきものは宮仕え。（Set Phrase)
It is better to work for oneself than to work for someone else.
Grammar Note: Also seen as 「せまじきものは宮仕え」. The form 「せまい」 was, in fact, used in the colloquial speech of many during the Edo Period, and it can be still heard in situations such as authentic kabuki performances.
～まじき ＝ ～まじい
Occasionally in Early Modern Japanese literature, you may encounter まじき as まじい. This is a representation of how ～まい would’ve been heard in the spoken language right before it became further contracted to ～まい.
37. 「早くね、早くね。」と、言うなり後向いて走り出したのは噓みたいにあっけなかったが、遠ざかる後姿を見送っていると、なぜまたあの娘はいつもああ真剣な様子なのだろうと、この場にあるまじい不審が島村の心を掠めた。
Her running off as soon as she looked back saying “hurry, hurry!” seemed all too much like a lie, but as Shimamura looked at her retreating figure go farther away, a suspicion unfit for the scene grazed his mind as he thought again about why she was always so serious.
From 雪国 by 川端康成。
38. 士官の軍刀と、半玉の守り袋や花簪の鈴とが、足拍子につれて鳴った。兵士にあるまじい、哀傷の歌詞でありながら、二十五前後の青年と十五六の少女との合唱であるために、進軍の歌の響きがあった。
The officer’s saber and the young geisha’s little pouch and bells on her flowery hairpin resounded with the beating of their feet. Though the lyrics were elegiac and unbecoming of a solider, as it was the ensemble of a twenty-five or so year old lad and a fifteen, sixteen or so year old girl, it had the quality of a marching song.
From 童謡 by 川端康成.
39. 触れるほど顔を重ねて見るほど、能面にはあるまじい邪道だろう。
It was surely heresy unworthy of the Noh mask to even touch or try to put over one’s face.
From 山の音 by 川端康成.