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でしょう、じゃない、じゃないか

Hana56

後輩
1 Dec 2011
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Could someone please explain the difference between these three endings?
Here are some example sentences:

来週は期末試験があるのにぜんぜん勉強してないでしょう。
Even though, the final exam is next week, you haven't studied at all, right? (Why doesn't でしょう have a rising intonation?)


まあ、いいじゃない。
Well, then. It's probably fine, don't you think? (Again, why doesn't じゃない carry rising intonation?)
うん、なかなか似合ってるじゃないか。
Yeah, it looks good on you. (Here the speaker has acquired new information,)
お前の方が獣みたいじゃないか。
You're the one who's like a beast. (Not sure of this translation....)



Like I understand that if でしょう and じゃない are used with a "?" then it's like a tag question, that means: "right?" or "isn't it?".
However, if でしょう and じゃない end without a "?" then does the sentence have a slightly different meaning?
Also, what does じゃないか mean?

Thanks!
 
My student-y ears/eyes are telling me that a better translation for your deshou sentence would be 'Despite the final exam being next week, you probably haven't studied at all." Deshou shows a certain level of uncertainty in what is being said.

Janai isn't always negative, it can be used to express affirmative. Borrowed example:
"サラリーマンだから、残業はたくさんするんじゃない?" "Because he's a salaryman, doesn't he do a lot of overtime?"
A closer translation to express the fact that this is affirmative would be "Because he's a salaryman, he probably does a lot of overtime." Source

Someone else will be able to explain the nuance of janai ka better. As far as I know (take this with a grain of salt) janai ka has a kind of questioning/confirming tone. You're confident but there's still a hint of questioning going on.
 
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