How to use “~そうです”

The grammar 「〜そうです」 in Japanese indeed has two primary meanings.


1. 「〜そうです」 – Expressing “It seems that…” or “I heard that…”

This usage is based on hearsay or second-hand information.

Formation:

  1. Verb (plain form) + そうです
    • Example: 雨が降るそうです (I heard it will rain.)
  2. い-adjective (plain form) + そうです
    • Example: 彼は忙しいそうです (I heard he is busy.)
  3. な-adjective + だ + そうです
    • Example: 彼は元気だそうです (I heard he is healthy.)
  4. Noun + だ + そうです
    • Example: 彼は先生だそうです (I heard he is a teacher.)

Key Characteristics:

  • This is indirect information. You’re not the one directly observing or experiencing.
  • Often used with そうだ in casual speech.
  • Can be paired with evidential sources for clarity, such as:
    • 新聞で読んだそうです (I read in the newspaper that…)
    • 友達が言っていたそうです (A friend said that…)

2. 「〜そうです」 – Expressing “It looks like…” or “It appears…”

This usage is based on appearance or personal observation.

Formation:

  1. Verb (ます-stem) + そうです
    • Example: 雨が降りそうです (It looks like it will rain.)
  2. い-adjective (remove final い) + そうです
    • Example: このケーキはおいしそうです (This cake looks delicious.)
  3. な-adjective + そうです
    • Example: 彼は楽しそうです (He looks like he’s having fun.)

Key Characteristics:

  • This is your interpretation based on what you see, hear, or perceive.
  • Often used to describe immediate impressions or forecasts.
  • Cannot be used with certain adjectives like those expressing inherent qualities (e.g., 大きい, 小さい, かわいい). Instead, you might use 「〜みたいです」 or another expression.

Comparison Table

MeaningUsageFormationExample SentenceKey Point
Hearsay“I heard that…”Verb/Adj/Noun (plain form) + そうです彼は先生だそうです。Indirect information
Appearance“It looks like…”Verb (ます-stem)/Adj (stem) + そうです雨が降りそうです。Based on your observation

Points to Remember

  1. Context is key: When hearing 「〜そうです」 in conversation, judge from context whether it indicates hearsay or appearance.
  2. Negation for appearance is a bit different:
    • 雨が降りそうにない (It doesn’t look like it will rain.)
  3. Politeness levels:
    • Casual: そうだ
    • Polite: そうです
  4. Overlap with other expressions:
    • For “It looks like,” you can sometimes use similar structures like 〜らしい, but they imply subtle nuances of certainty or perception.

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