Other meanings of でしょう besides "probably"

でしょう can usually be understood to mean "probably." But does it sometimes mean the same thing as ですね? What other meanings can it have? Can it mean "you know?"

Answer

Aside from the meaning of "probably", I've heard でしょう (だろう) used in the following manners:

1. 
   

   In polite speech, でしょうか can replace ですか. でしょうか sounds "softer" and a little less direct:

   
   

   
   

   この色【いろ】はいかがですか。 How about this color?

   
   

   この色【いろ】はいかがでしょうか。 How about this color? (slightly more polite)

   
   

   ちょっと分【わ】かりにくいですかね。 Do you suppose it's somewhat hard to follow?

   
   
   

   ちょっと分【わ】かりにくいでしょうかね。 Do you suppose it's somewhat hard to follow? (slightly more polite)

   
   

   
   


2. 
   

   でしょう and だろう can be used like ね to form tag questions, primarily when the speaker knows something to be true and is using it to prove a point to or convince the listener of some fact. This use of でしょう often has a rising intonation:

   
   

   
   

   で、帰【かえ】ったときに携帯【けいたい】はかばんに入【はい】ってなかっただろう？ So when you got back, your cell wasn't in your bag, right?

   
   

   言【い】ったでしょう？明日【あした】、東京【とうきょう】に行【い】くって。 I told you, didn't I? That I'd be going to Tokyo tomorrow.

   
   

   
   

   The question particle か is omitted in this use. In my experience, you're more likely to find だろう being used by men and でしょう by women here, but the split is not well defined, as both are fairly gender-neutral.