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I have read that the volitional form expresses the intent to do or not do an
action. Afterwards I found a case where this doesn't seem to apply when
conjugating the です verb.

I read a sentence where a series of images of flowers are shown to the reader.
I believe they are asking which one is the flower of an eggplant. It goes like
this:

> なすの花どれでしょう?

The question uses the volitional form but it doesn't seem to match the
definition that I read before.

  * How should `どれでしょう?` be translated?
  * Is there a difference between using there `どれでしょう?` and `どれですか`?
  * Are there other possible interpretations? Which are other sentences that use `どれでしょう` and how is this expression interpreted in them?
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2020-08-16T19:47:29.767
80183
2020-08-16T21:42:13.193
32509
question
translation verbs conjugations volitional-form
How to interpret the volitional form of です
The volitional form is also used to make a mild suggestion or draw a vague
inference about something (particularly if the verb in question is
nonvolitional in nature).

なすの花どれでしょう

is a question asking, “which of these [flowers] is that of an eggplant?”

Depending on the context, the person could be thinking out loud. Or, perhaps
someone informed them there was the flower of an eggplant on a display table
covered with various flowers, the individual approached the table and is
looking, doesn’t see the flower and so asks the person in charge of the
display. It could be an adult or teacher teaching a child various flowers and
as a quick review asks, “which is the eggplant?”

どれですか wouldn’t work in all the scenarios outlined above. Or, it might come
across as rather brusk. でしょう has a very soft feel to it. But take the case of
someone approaching a display table of flower. どれですか really seems to presume
there is an eggplant flower there. どれでしょう is less certain and leaves the
possibility that there is no such flower there.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-16T21:34:41.517
80186
2020-08-16T21:42:13.193
2020-08-16T21:42:13.193
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answer