Let’s learn Japanese with Suzume’s quote from Suzume no Tojimari (すずめの戸締まり, Suzume’s Locking Up).
CONTENTS
Video
Suzume’s Quote
Japanese: 今は真っ暗闇に思えるかもしれないけれど、いつか必ず朝が来る。
Romaji: ima wa makkurayami ni omoeru kamo shirenai keredo, itsuka kanarazu asa ga kuru.
English: The night might seem endless right now but one day, morning will come.
Analysis
今は真っ暗闇に思えるかもしれないけれど
今 (noun) means “now”.
は (particle) marks the topic and can also indicate contrast. In this case, it contrasts the present with the future.
真っ is the prefix adding intensity to the following word 暗闇 (noun) meaning “darkness”, so 真っ暗闇 means “complete darkness” or “total darkness”.
に (particle) 思える (verb) means “it seems like”, so 真っ暗闇に思える means “it seems like total darkness”.
かもしれない means “might” or “may”, expressing possibility or uncertainty.
けれど (conjunction) is a more formal version of けど meaning “but”.
So, 今は真っ暗闇に思えるかもしれないけれど means “Right now, it might seem like total darkness, but…”
いつか必ず朝が来る
いつか (adverb) means “one day” or “someday”. The particle は can be added, as in いつかは, to emphasise the contrast with 今.
必ず (adverb) means “certainly” or “definitely”.
朝(noun) means “morning”.
が (particle) marks the subject of the verb.
来る(verb) means “to come” or “will come”.
So, いつか必ず朝が来る means “one day, morning will certainly come”.
So today’s quote 今は真っ暗闇に思えるかもしれないけれど、いつか必ず朝が来る means “Right now, it might seem like total darkness, but one day, morning will certainly come”. In the movie, this is paraphrased as, “The night might seem endless right now, but one day, morning will come”.
Review1: 〜に思える
Noun or な-Adjective に思える means “it seems like”.
You may already be familiar with だと思う, which means “to think that”.
They both express a mental process, and 真っ暗闇だと思う and 真っ暗闇に思える could both work, but there is a subtle difference in nuance.
真っ暗闇だと思う means “you think it’s total darkness” indicating that she’s actively forming an opinion that “it’s total darkness”, which is an intentional action. On the other hand, 真っ暗闇に思える means “it seems like total darkness” indicating that she perceives the impression of ‘total darkness’ naturally, without any intentional thought. So, 真っ暗闇に思える fits better in this context, as she’s focusing on her natural perception rather than her intentional thoughts. This choice reflects more empathy and understanding.
Review2: 必ず
必ず (adverb) means “certainly” or “definitely”, expressing strong certainty.
There are words like 絶対 and きっと, which also convey strong certainty, but these three words are used in different contexts.
必ず refers to something that will definitely happen in affirmative sentences. It’s commonly used in formal or objective contexts, based on rules or facts. It can be translated as “certainly”, “definitely”, or“without fail”.
絶対 can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences. It’s often used in casual situations and strongly conveys the speaker’s subjective feelings, based on a strong belief. It can be translated as “absolutely” or “without a doubt.”
きっと can also be used in both affirmative and negative sentences. It’s also used in casual situations and conveys the speaker’s subjective feelings, but with less emphasis than 絶対, as it’s based on speculation or assumption. It can be translated as “surely” or “most likely”.
For this quote, all the words could work, but in this scene, she’s talking to her younger self, and since she already knows her definite future, she can tell her what is going to happen with strong certainty, as if it’s fated. Therefore, 必ず, which is used in fact-based situations, is the most fitting word for this context.
Examples
思える
Noun +（のよう／であるよう）に思える
宇宙のことを考えると、自分がとても小さい存在（のよう）に思える。
uchū no koto o kangaeru to, jibun ga totemo chiisai sonzai (no yō) ni omoeru.
When I think about the universe, I feel like a very tiny existence.
な-Adjective +（なよう／であるよう）に思える
彼の話は少し不自然（なよう）に思える。
kare no hanashi wa sukoshi fushizen (na yō) ni omoeru.
His story seems a bit unnatural.
い-Adjective + ように + 思える／い-Adjective (replace い with く) + 思える
日本語の文法は【難しいように／難しく】思える。
nihongo no bunpō wa [muzukashii yō ni/muzukashiku] omoeru.
Japanese grammar seems difficult.
Verb Plain-Form + ように + 思える
この計画はうまくいくように思えた。
kono keikaku wa umaku iku yō ni omoeta.
This plan seemed like it would work out.
Difference Between 思う, 思える, and 思われる
| Meaning | Tone | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 思う | To think | Casual, subjective | Used to express personal opinions or beliefs |
| 思える | It seems | Formal, subjective | Used to express how something seems or feels from the speaker’s perspective, often conveying a personal, intuitive or spontaneous impression |
| 思われる | It can be concluded | Formal, objective | Used to express conclusions or inferences based on external evidence, logical reasoning, or analysis, often sounding more impersonal |
思える
思える is more commonly used as に思える or ように思える, rather than と思える. Also, the particles には is used to express the perspective.
私には、彼がしたように思える。
watashi ni wa, kare ga shita yō ni omoeru.
To me, it seems like he did it.
While 思える is grammatically the potential form of the verb 思う, it is more commonly used to express an intuitive or spontaneous impression. However, it can also be used in its original sense of expressing possibility, often in negative forms as とは思えない:
その国に住みたいとは思えない。
sono kuni ni sumitai to wa omoenai.
I can’t think that I would want to live in that country.
(I can’t see myself wanting to live in that country)
思われる
思われる is often used in news and reports, and it conveys a strong sense of objectivity.
犯人と思われる男が防犯カメラに映っていた。
hannin to omowareru otoko ga bōhan kamera ni utsutteita.
The man believed to be the culprit was captured on the security camera.
Adverbs of Strong Certainty (必ず／絶対／きっと)
試験当日は受験票を【必ず／
絶対／きっと】持参してください。shiken tōjitsu wa jukenhyō o kanarazu jisan shite kudasai.
Please make sure to bring your admission ticket on the day of the exam.
明日の面接は【
必ず／絶対／きっと】遅刻できない。ashita no mensetsu wa zettai chikoku dekinai.
I absolutely cannot be late for tomorrow’s interview.
もう遅いから、【
必ず／絶対／きっと】寝てると思うよ。mō osoi kara, kitto neteru to omou yo.
It’s already late, so I think he’s most likely sleeping.
必ず in Partial Negations
Although 必ず cannot be used in negative forms, it can be used in partial negations, often as 必ずしも:
必ずしもうまくいくとは限らない。
kanarazu shimo umaku iku to wa kagiranai.
Things don’t always work out well.
Making a request
When they are used to make a request, they are all interchangeable, but there are slight differences as follows:
必ず来てください。
kanarazu kite kudasai.
Please make sure to come.
Strong, objective request with an imperative tone
絶対来てください。
zettai kite kudasai.
You absolutely must come.
Strong, subjective request with the speaker’s firm persuasion
きっと来てください。
kitto kite kudasai.
Please do come, OK?
Strong, subjective request with an encouraging or hopeful tone
ぜひ can also be used for a request in a more humble way.
ぜひ来てください。
zehi kite kudasai.
I would love for you to come.
Subjective request reflecting the speaker’s strong hope
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