Grammar Info
N4 Lesson 3: 5/18
そう
Look like, Appear, Seem, Have a feeling that
Do not confuse with そうだ (I heard that...).
Structure
Verb[ます]+ そう + だ
[い]Adjective[い]+ そう + だ
[な]Adjective + そう + だ
Negative:
Verb[ない]+ な + そう + だ
[い]Adjective [ない] + なさ + そう + だ
[な]Adjective + では(1)ない + なさ + そう + だ
Exceptions:
いい → よい + さそう + だ → よさそうだ
(1) じゃ
Details
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Standard
About そう
そうだ is one of the 18 primary auxiliary verbs in Japanese, and can be used in two (2) different ways. The broad meaning in each of its applications is that something 'seems' to be a certain way. Due to this, そう is regularly translated as 'seems like', 'looks like', or 'appears as though'.
In this lesson, we will focus on the form that is used with the conjunctive (stem) form of words. Please examine the structure guide to see these forms.
Caution
そう may also be used when attached to the い-Adjective, ない. In this case, there is a unique conjugation rule which we will need to be careful of. As always, い will be removed from ない before attaching そう. However, さ will be inserted between な, and そう. This creates the expression なさそう.
- 彼の部屋は汚くなさそうだ。His room doesn't seem messy.
-
あの車は小さくて便利じゃなさそう。That car is small, and looks inconvenient.
Note that this addition of さ does not happen with verbs. This is due to the ない that is used with negative verbs being an auxiliary verb, and not an い-Adjective. With the auxiliary verb ない, simply remove the い, before adding そう directly to the stem.
-
彼はもうイギリスに帰らなそうだ。It appears that he is not going back to England.
Caution
This そう is utilized exclusively to make predictions/guesses about something based on visual information. It is relatively low confidence, so should not be used for things that are obvious. In these cases, みたい would be used instead.
- 明日は朝から雨が降るみたいだ。It looks like it is going to start raining tomorrow morning. (Higher confidence)
-
明日は朝から雨が降りそうだ。It seems like it is going to start raining tomorrow morning. (Lower confidence)
Synonyms
みたい
Like, Similar to, Resembling
Not studied yet
らしい ①
Seems like, Apparently, I heard
Not studied yet
のように・のような
Like (Noun), Similar to (Noun)
Not studied yet
ように・ような
As・like, Just like
Not studied yet
にみえる
To look, To seem, To appear
Not studied yet
ような気がする
Have a feeling that
Not studied yet
っぽい
-ish, -like, Characteristic of, Typical of, Tendency to
Not studied yet
Antonyms
Examples
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雪が降りそうです。
It looks like it is going to snow.
先生の仕事は難しそうです。
The job of being a teacher looks difficult.
今日の宿題は簡単そうだ。
Today's homework looks easy.
その食べ物は食べやすそう。
That food looks easy to eat.
この教科書はとても難しそうです。
This textbook seems very difficult.
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Appearances and Hearsay
Tae Kim
Difference between そうです、ようです、だろう and らしいです
BriefJapanese
なそう or なさそう?
Self Taught Japanese
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みんなの日本語 I
Page 20 [CH 2]
Genki II 2nd Edition
Page 33
みんなの日本語 II
Page 114 [CH 43]
Marugoto Elementary 2 (A2) Rikai
Page 34
Genki II 1st Edition
Page 13
[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
Page 1 & 410
Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
Page 261
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 74
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そう – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (31 in total)
wootau
Thank you IcyIceBear. That’s what I thought too and so I wonder if it is a typo or some kind of contraction. The contraction I am used to see is ”verbてる”for present continuous tense but not verbてい。
IcyIceBear
Verb てる is a casual contraction of verbている, it means the same thing, just a lil more casual, shorter and faster to say like “whatcha doin” vs “what are you doing”.
The verb stem of いる (being an ichidan/る verb) in verbている becomes てい.
走っています > 走っています> 走っていそうだwootau
This all makes sense now. Thank you IcyIceBear.
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