53628
I've found "might/perhaps" explanation on stack, and it fitted this sentence:

> 「初めはその指輪も含めて、自虐の趣味があるのではないかと思っていたが……」

But this explanation doesn't work on this sentence:

> 血が滲む「のではないかという」くらい強く握り締めた拳 .

I was told that the sentence above has the same meaning as:

> 「まるで」血が滲む「ような」くらい強く握り締めた拳

So what does のではないか actually mean?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-04T09:08:44.760
53621
2017-10-04T14:49:08.030
2017-10-04T10:56:32.703
18134
18134
question
grammar
What does 「のではないか」really mean in "血が滲む「のではないかという」くらい強く握り締めた拳 "
> (1) 血が滲む「のではないかという」くらい強く握り締めた拳  
>  (2)「まるで」血が滲む「ような」くらい強く握り締めた拳

(3) a fist clenched strongly as if blood would bleed  
(3)' 血が流出するかのように強く握った拳

The phrase with (3) is my attempt for (1) or (2). And (3)' is the result of
google translation for (3).  
I think (3)' has almost the same meaning as (1) or (2) has.

As for "might/perhaps", I think you can say (3) like (4) or (5). And (4)' and
(5)' are google translations for (4) and (5) respectively.

### EDIT

personanongrata gave me a comment as follows, so I edit (4) and (4)'.

> Seeing your answer I thought of this " a fist clenched so strongly
> THAT（という）it might「のではないか」 bleed.

~~(4) a fist clenched strongly as if blood **might** bleed~~  
~~(4)' 血が流出するかのように強く握った拳~~  
(4) a fist that is clenched so strongly that it **might** bleed  
(4)' 非常に強く握られて出血するかもしれない拳

(5) a fist clenched strongly as if blood **perhaps** bleed  
(5)' 血が流血するかのように強く握る拳

In conclusion, I think that "might/perhaps" can also be used for "のではないか" in
(1).
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-04T13:36:01.923
53628
2017-10-04T14:49:08.030
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
20624
53621
answer