What is the proper use of だろう, is it "masculine", and how is it different from と思 【おも】う?

Question

Like a lot of foreign guys, some Japanese I picked up from imitating the women I spoke to. Certain affectations made me sound unwittingly effeminate in the early days when I had less grasp on the impression my words made. One of those habits was to use `でしょう` at the end of sentences, to express uncertainty, asking confirmation, or wondering aloud. Later on I was told that it was more masculine to use `だろう`. Even though that was years ago, I never really got comfortable with `だろう`. I'm not sure I'm using it right, and it feels weird saying it. I'm hoping JL&U can come to the rescue here. First, is `だろう` really the more masculine form of `でしょう`? It seems sometimes I do hear men using `でしょう`, and women using `だろう`. Do they mean different things? Second, are `だろ` and `だろう` different? Lastly, what is the difference between these two statements: > 何かあったのだろうか。 > > 何かあったと思う。

Answer 1

だろう is the plain form of でしょう, so its basic usage should be about the same. As it is plain form, it's naturally more masculine, since women tend to speak more formally than men in any given circumstance. That said, there are unseen determining factors that may influence speech patterns (background, age, rank, etc..) as well as personality that might come into play.

だろ sounds more like you're talking to yourself/don't care that your audience is listening.

The difference is:

何かあったのだろうか。- "I wonder what might have happened." (self-directed question) OR "Something must have happened."

何かあったと思う。 - "Think something happened."