Possibility and Impossibility

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The sentence ending kamoshiremasen indicates possibility, without saying how high or low the possibility is - it might be low, middling or high.

The connectivity is:

• ureshiikamoshiremasen "is possibly happy";
• ureshikunaikamoshiremasen "is possibly unhappy";
• yumeinakamoshiremasen "is possibly famous";
• odorukamoshiremasen "is possibly dancing";
• juubakunokamoshiremasen "is possibly a binding spell".

mahoutsukaisamahajuubakuwotatarukamoshiremasen. "The wizard may possibly cast a binding spell."

The same sentence ending can be used to imply that the speaker is afraid of the possibility.

mahoutsukaisamahajuubakuwotatarukamoshiremasen. "(I am afraid that) the wizard may cast a binding spell." Note that this example and the previous one are the same in Japanese.

The sentence ending hazugaarimasen indicates impossibility. The implication is that there is a particular reason for this impossibility.

The connectivity is:

• ureshiihazugaarimasen "cannot be happy";
• ureshikunaihazugaarimasen "cannot be unhappy";
• yumeinahazugaarimasen "cannot be famous";
• odoruhazugaarimasen "cannot be dancing";
• juubakunohazugaarimasen "cannot be a binding spell".

mahoutsukaisamanojuubakukarasaburinasanhaoureshiihazugaarimasen. "Because of the magician's binding spell, Sabrina cannot possibly be happy."