まい

Japanese

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) まい [màí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ma̠i]

Etymology 1

From earlier まじい (majii), from classical まじ (maji).

Suffix

まい • (-mai) 

1. (literary) will not, is not, is not, cannot be (indicates denial)

   いや、そんなことはあるまい。

   Iya, sonna koto wa aru mai.

   No, such a thing could not be the case.

   • 1905–06, Natsume Sōseki, I Am a Cat (text here)

     いくら人間(にんげん)だって、そういつまでも栄(さか)える事(こと)もあるまい。

     Ikura ningen datte, sō itsumademo sakaeru koto mo aru mai.

     For surely even human beings will not flourish forever.

Usage notes

Inflection rules for the まい form

Word	dictionary form	shūshikei of godan verbs mizenkei of other verbs	historical kana
書く	かく (kaku)	かくまい (kakumai)
泳ぐ	およぐ (oyogu)	およぐまい (oyogumai)
話す	はなす (hanasu)	はなすまい (hanasumai)
待つ	まつ (matsu)	まつまい (matsumai)
死ぬ	しぬ (shinu)	しぬまい (shinumai)
呼ぶ	よぶ (yobu)	よぶまい (yobumai)
読む	よむ (yomu)	よむまい (yomumai)
作る	つくる (tsukuru)	つくるまい (tsukurumai)
買う	かう (kau)	かうまい (kaumai)	かふまい
ichidan verbs (type 2)
見る	みる (miru)	みまい (mimai)
開ける	あける (akeru)	あけまい (akemai)
irregular verbs (type 3)
来る	くる (kuru)	こまい (komai) くまい (kumai) くるまい (kurumai) きまい (kimai)
する	する (suru)	しまい (shimai) (volition) するまい (surumai) (conjectural) すまい (sumai) (formal) せまい (semai)

• This word is morphologically a clitic. It is classified as 助動詞 (jodōshi, “auxiliary verb”) in traditional Japanese grammar.
• It attaches to the terminal form of godan verbs, but the irrealis form of ichidan verbs (although the terminal form of ichidan verbs is also seen). For the irregular verbs 来る and する, all of こまい, くまい, くるまい, しまい (volitional), すまい, and するまい (conjecture) have seen in use. This suffix always comes last, even after ます (-masu). (Usage with ます (-masu) is now dated and uncommon.)
• Today largely replaced by a negative + だろう.

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• (Nagoya, eye dialect) みゃあ (-myā)

Suffix

まい • (-mai) 

1. (Aichi, Gifu, Mie, Shizuoka, Nagano, Nagoya, verb suffix) volitive

   Synonym: (standard) う (-u)

   行(い)こまい ― ikomai ― let's go

   やろまい ― yaromai ― let's do it

Etymology 3

Adjective

まい • (mai) 

1. (Tsugaru) no good

   Synonym: (standard Japanese) だめ (dame)

   ○○しねばまいね。

   ○○ Shineba mai ne.

   Gotta do X.

   まいぐね？

   Maigune?

   Isn't that no good?

   • 2021 March 29, “青森の価値を生み出す人たち～株式会社クロックアップ 代表取締役 中村公一さん～”, in 青森県庁‎^[1]:

     「青(あお)森(もり)だからまいね」「なにやってもまいね」

     “Aomori dakara mai ne”“Nani yatte mo mai ne”

     (please add an English translation of this example)

Etymology 4

For pronunciation and definitions of まい – see the following entries.

【舞】S [noun] a type of traditional Japanese dance consisting of simple and quiet movements [proper noun] a female given name

【幣】S [noun] (archaic) something offered as a reward, either to a god or a person

【枚】6 [counter] counter for flat and thin objects, such as sheets

【毎】2 [prefix] each, every, per

【真以】 [proper noun] a female given name

【麻衣】 [proper noun] a female given name

【妹】2 [affix] one's own younger sister [proper noun] a female given name

【米】2 [affix] rice

(This term, まい (mai), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as まい, see Category:Japanese kanji read as まい.)