Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
To express that something appears or looks a certain way, based on observation.
🎯 Primary Function
Describes appearance, likelihood, or a state based on visual or sensory evidence.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (stem form) + そうだ
i-Adjective (stem form, drop い) + そうだ
Na-Adjective (drop な) + そうだ
Noun + だ/です (Not used with そうだ for appearance meaning)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used with です/ます endings for formality.
Informal Situations
Commonly used in casual conversation.
Written Language
Frequently used in descriptive writing.
Spoken Language
Very common in everyday speech.
💡 Common Applications
Describing the appearance of objects or people.
Used to state how something looks based on what you see.
Example: あのケーキは美味しそうです。(Ano kēki wa oishisō desu.) – That cake looks delicious.
Describing the likelihood of an action happening.
Used to say that something is likely to happen based on the current situation or signs.
Example: 今にも雨が降りそうです。(Ima ni mo ame ga furisō desu.) – It looks like it’s going to rain any moment now.
Describing someone’s state or feeling based on their appearance.
Used to express how someone seems to be feeling or doing based on how they look.
Example: 彼は元気そうです。(Kare wa genkisō desu.) – He looks energetic.
Frequency
Very frequently used in daily conversation and writing.
Difficulty
Relatively easy for N4 learners, main challenge is the conjugation rules and distinguishing it from the hearsay そうだ.
Example Sentences
空が暗くなってきました。今にも雨が降りそうです。
The sky has become dark. It looks like it’s going to rain any moment.
この本は面白そうです。
This book looks interesting.
彼女はとても忙しそうです。
She looks very busy.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Conjugation Rules
Remember to use the stem form for verbs and i-adjectives (dropping the final い). Drop the な for na-adjectives. Nouns generally do not connect directly to そうだ for this meaning.
Example: 飲む (nomu) -> 飲みそうです (nomisō desu)
高い (takai) -> 高そうです (takasō desu)
元気な (genkina) -> 元気そうです (genkisō desu)
学生 (gakusei) -> 学生そうです is incorrect.
Exception: いい (ii)
The i-adjective いい (good) becomes よさそうです (yosasō desu).
Example: それはよさそうです。(Sore wa yosasō desu.) – That looks good.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using the plain form for verbs/i-adjectives (appearance meaning).
✅ Use the stem form (verb) or drop the い (i-adj).
Using plain form + そうだ means “I heard that…” (hearsay). For appearance, it must be stem form. Example: 食べる (taberu) -> 食べそうです (tabesō desu) for appearance, 食べるとそうです or 食べるそうです for hearsay.
❌ Attaching そうだ directly to nouns.
✅ This usage of そうだ does not connect directly to nouns for appearance. (Noun + のようだ or + みたいだ are used instead).
学生そうです is incorrect for “looks like a student”. Use 学生のようです (gakusei no yō desu).
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: The level of politeness depends on the ending (そうです vs そうだ).
Social Situations: Used widely in various social contexts when describing observations or likelihoods.
Regional Variations: Standard usage across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
そうだ vs. ようだ / みたいだ
そうだ is based more on direct sensory evidence (especially visual). ようだ/みたいだ are based on similarity, resemblance, or subjective impression.
When to use: Use そうだ when describing a clear appearance or strong likelihood based on what you see/sense. Use ようだ/みたいだ when comparing something to something else or expressing a less certain, more subjective impression (“it’s like…”, “it resembles…”).
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📝 Conjugation Notes
Verbs: Remove ます from ます-form (e.g., 飲みます -> 飲み). I-Adjectives: Remove final い (e.g., 高い -> 高). Na-Adjectives: Remove な (e.g., 元気な -> 元気).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce そうだ with a smooth, natural flow. The lengthening of the “o” sound in そう is important.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of そうだ as “seeing signs” (そう sō rhymes with observation). “It looks like…” based on what you observe.
Practice Exercises
Select the correct form: このケーキは（美味しい）＿＿＿＿＿＿。
美味そうです
美味しいそうです
美味いそうです
美味そうな
Select the correct form: 彼はとても（元気）＿＿＿＿＿＿。
元気そうです
元気だそうです
元気なそうです
元気のそうです
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