Schoolgirl #1: “Sean Penn is so cool!”

Schoolgirl #2: “He sure is!”

Two Japanese schoolgirls talking about Sean Penn.

Schoolgirl #1: “Sean Penn wa kakkou ii yo ne!”

Schoolgirl #2: “Deshou!”

What Just Happened

• We just saw “deshou” (でしょう) used as an interjection.
• Interjections include “Oh!” “Alas!” and “Oy vey!”

Where This Came From

• “Sou desu” (そうです) conveys “That’s right.” with an air of finality.
• “Sou desu yo” (そうですよ) conveys “That’s right!” with emphasis.
• “Sou deshou” (そうでしょう) conveys “I’m sure that’s right.”

Therefore, “deshou” is an expression of agreement with another person. 

Deshou Is Subjective

English

Schoolgirl #1: “You really aced that test, didn’t you?”

Schoolgirl #2: “I did, didn’t I?”

Japanese

Schoolgirl #1: “Ano tesuto, daiseikou da yo ne?”

Schoolgirl #2: “Deshou?”

In this case, “deshou?” is used to answer a question with a statement/ question: I agree with that statement, don’t you? 

Translation Note

Because English favors the active voice, a translation would probably read like this instead:

Schoolgirl #1: “You really aced that test, huh?”

Schoolgirl #2: “Totally.”

Remember, the “deshou” expresses that Schoolgirl #2 has no doubt, in her own mind, that she did indeed ace that test. Her subjective opinion is strong. This is what should be remembered when converting “deshou” into English. – J