A is spoken by/heard from someone/something else
- A is spoken by/heard from someone/something else
- It looks A; it seems like A
14
聞いた？レッドソックスは昨日勝ったそうだ！
Did you hear? (I heard) The Red Sox won yesterday!
20
明日雨が降るそうです。
I heard that it's going to rain tomorrow.
8
このパソコンは使いにくいそうですよ。
I heard that this computer is hard to use.
8
電車が遅れているんだそうです。
I heard that the train is running late.
Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
落ちたそうだ ((I heard) he fell)
無理だそうだ ((I heard) it's impossible)
上手いそうだ ((I heard) it's delicious)
賑やかだそうだ ((I heard) it's lively)
Related Expressions
ということ
らしい
らしい
Where this grammar is found
User notes
It looks A; it seems like A
- A is spoken by/heard from someone/something else
- It looks A; it seems like A
The grapes look delicious!
11
外は雨が降りそうだから傘を持っていってね。
It looks like it will rain outside, so take an umbrella.
17
うん。このレストランは高そうだから他のレストランに行こうか？
Hmm.. This restaurant seems expensive, so lets go to another place?
12
あのケーキはすごくおいしそうなので、食べてみたい！
That cake looks really delicious! I want to try eating it!
6
雪が降りそうですね。
Looks like it'll snow.
16
この料理は辛そうだから、私は遠慮するよ。
This food looks spicy so I'll pass.
6
カナダは日本よりもずっと寒そうです。
Looks like Canada is much, much colder than Japan.
Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
降りそうだ (it looks like it'll rain)
Basic Examples:
古そうだ (it looks old)
Basic Examples:
新鮮そうだ (it looks fresh)
Basic Examples:
医者ではなさそうだ (it seems like he's not a doctor)
Notes
This is based on what the subject senses (sees, feels).
With nouns, it can only be used in the negative form (present or past tense).
With nouns, it can only be used in the negative form (present or past tense).
な, に, and だ
The three particles/modifies that follow そう are chosen based on what follows:
Basic Examples
そうな+Noun: おいしそうなケーキ (A delicious looking cake)
そうに+Verb: かれは元気そうに見える (He looks energetic)
そうだ。(end of sentence/clause) そのケーキはおいしそうだ (The cake looks delicious.)
Related Expressions
がっている
ようだ
ようだ
Where this grammar is found
User notes
Anonymous123
Level: 1197
(1 year ago)
Exceptions to the drop the い and add そう rule for い adjectives:
よい (good) -> よ - い + さそう = よさそう (seems good)
かわいい (cute) -> かわいい -い + そう = かわいそう (Does not mean seems cute! It means poor, pathetic, pitiful)
3
キバタン
Level: 1
(14 years ago)
It's important to distinguish this from the other そうだ meaning A is spoken by/heard from someone/something else. Note that that そうだ often has a だ before it, unlike this one.
This そうだ is only used when the speaker has some visual or other sensory information that leads them to make the statement.
雨が降るそうだ。 I heard that it's going to rain. (off the weather report etc.)
雨が降りそうだ。 It looks like it's going to rain. (looking out the window at black clouds)
This そうだ is only used when the speaker has some visual or other sensory information that leads them to make the statement.
雨が降るそうだ。 I heard that it's going to rain. (off the weather report etc.)
雨が降りそうだ。 It looks like it's going to rain. (looking out the window at black clouds)
25
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