まさか

ま

さ

か

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

interjection

no way!; you don't say!; never!

usually written using kana alone

Exclamatory interjection expressing strong disbelief, surprise, or rejection of an idea. Often used as a standalone reaction.

「明日あした、引ひっ越こすんだ。」「まさか！」
"I'm moving tomorrow." "No way!"

2

adverb

certainly (not); surely (not); hardly (expected)

usually written using kana alone

Adverbial use with a negative verb, meaning 'it cannot possibly be that...' or 'there is no way that...'. Emphasizes strong doubt or denial.

まさか彼かれが犯はん人にんだとは思おもわなかった。
I never thought he could be the culprit.
まさかそんなことはないでしょう。
Surely that can't be true.

3

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

unexpected event; emergency; contingency

usually written using kana alone

Noun or no-adjective referring to an unforeseen, often undesirable situation. Common in the set phrase まさかの時 (in case of emergency).

Written forms

まさかUsage100%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
真ま逆さかUsage<1%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form
Ateji spelling; rarely used and may be confused with 真逆 (まぎゃく, 'exact opposite').
マサカUsage<1%

Kanji

真true, reality, Buddhist sect
逆inverted, reverse, opposite

Similar words

まさかの時とき
A common set phrase using the noun sense of まさか, meaning 'in case of emergency' or 'when the unexpected happens'.
ありえない
Also expresses strong disbelief ('impossible'), but ありえない is a more general statement of impossibility, while まさか is often a reactive interjection or adverbial emphasis on unlikelihood.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be a compound of まさ (true, exact) and か (interrogative particle), but the exact derivation is unclear. The kanji form 真逆 is ateji.