The 〜そう (~sou) suffix expresses two different things:
- It seems/looks (like)
- I hear (that).
Let’s take a look at how it’s used.
Sou Meaning #1: It Seems/Looks (Like) ~
“It looks/seems (like)” using 〜そう expresses the speaker’s impression or opinion based on visual cues. For this usage, 〜そう can be attached to verbs and adjectives.
Using Sou With Verbs
We attach 〜そう to verbs to express, for example, that it looks like someone will do something or that it looks like something will happen. This pattern is when you gather information that you see (visual information).
Affirmative Verbs (Masu Stem Verbs)
With a verb’s masu form, we take the stem of the verb (the 〜ます form without the “ます”) and attach 〜そう.
● 泣く (naku, to cry) → 泣き + ます (stem + masu) → 泣き + そう = 泣きそう (naki sou): It looks like someone will cry
| Verb in Masu Form | Masu Stem | + そう (Sou) | Masu Stem with そう (Sou): It seems/looks like ~. |
| 泣きます (nakimasu) To cry | 泣き (naki) | + そう | 泣きそう (naki sou): Seems / Looks like someone / something will cry ~. |
| 食べます (tabemasu) To eat | 食べ (tabe) | + そう | 食べそう (tabe sou): Seems / Looks like someone / something will eat ~. |
| 行きます (ikimasu) To go | 行き (iki) | + そう | 行きそう (iki sou): Seems / Looks like someone / something will go ~. |
| します (shimasu) To do | し (shi) | + そう | しそう (shi sou): Seems / Looks like someone / something will do ~. |
Examples:
1. 桜がもうすぐ咲きそうだ。
(Sakura ga mō sugu sakisou da.)
The cherry blossoms look like they are going to bloom soon.
2. 気温が高いから雪だるまが溶けそうだ。
(Kion ga takai kara yukidaruma ga tokesou da.)
The temperature is high, so it seems like the snowman is going to melt.
Sou With Negative Verbs: Option 1
With a verb’s negative form, we have two options.
First, we can take the plain, non-past negative form, drop the final “い”, and add “そう” to it.
● 雨が降る (ame ga furu, to rain) → 降らな + い (plain non-past negative) → 降らな + そう = 降らなそう (furana sou): It seems/looks like it will not rain
| Verb in Plain Negative Form | Remove the Final い (i) | + そう (Sou) | Verb in Plain Negative Form with そう (Sou): It does not seem/look like ~. |
| 泣かない (nakanai) Do not / will not cry | 泣かな | + そう | 泣かなそう (nakana sou): It does not seem / look like he/she/they will cry ~ |
| 食べない (tabenai) Do not / will not eat | 食べな | + そう | 食べなそう (tabena sou): It does not seem / look like he/she/they will eat ~ |
| 行かない (ikanai) Do not / will not go | 行かな | + そう | 行かなそう (ikana sou): It does not seem / look like he/she/they will go ~ |
| しない (shinai) Do not / will not do | しな | + そう | しなそう (shina sou): It does not seem / look like he/she/they will do ~ |
Examples:
1. 動物園のライオンは寝てばかりであまり動かなそうだね。
(Dōbutsuen no raion wa nete bakari de amari ugokanasou da ne.)
The lion at the zoo is always sleeping and doesn’t seem like he will move much.
2. 明子さんはいい人だから人の悪口は言わなそうだよ。
(Akiko san wa ii hito dakara hito no waruguchi wa iwanasou da yo.)
Akiko is a good person so she doesn’t seem like she’d bad-mouth other people.
Nasasou vs Nasou
Some of you may be asking, why is it “なそう (nasou)” instead of “なさそう (nasasou)?” This is a very good question!
I bet many of you have already learned that using そう (sou) with ない (nai) will become なさそう (nasasou). This is absolutely correct…if you are using ない (nai) by itself or with adjectives. However, with verbs, it becomes なそう (as in 行かなそう).
Here’s a quick look at the rules:
- Plain Negative verbs + そう = なそう
- Plain Negative adjectives + そう = なさそう
The reason for this is that the ない (nai) used with adjectives are exactly that; adjectives. And negative adjectives that use そう (sou) need to have a “さ (sa)” before the ない.
This also applies to the negative form of na-adjectives: 綺麗じゃなさそう (kirei ja nasasou), 大丈夫じゃなさそう (daijōbu ja nasasou), etc.
Adjective Examples:
| Adjective in Plain Negative Form | Remove the Final い (i) | + さそう (Sasou) | Adjective in Negative Plain Form with さそう (Sasou): Does not seem/look ~. |
| 寒くない (samukunai) Not cold | 寒くな | + さそう | 寒くなさそう (samukuna sasou): Does not seem / look cold ~ . |
| 美味しくない (oishikunai) Not delicious | 美味しくな | + さそう | 美味しくなさそう (oishikuna sasou): Does not seem / look delicious ~ . |
| 綺麗じゃない (kirei ja nai) Not pretty / clean | 綺麗じゃな | + さそう | 綺麗じゃなさそう(kirei ja na sasou): Does not seem/look pretty/clean ~ . |
| 複雑ではない (fukuzatsu dewa nai) Not complicated | 複雑ではな | + さそう | 複雑ではなさそう (fukuzatsu dewa na sasou): Does not seem / look complicated ~ . |
However, the ない (nai) found in plain negative form verbs is NOT an adjective. It is an inflecting dependent word (also known as an auxiliary verb). This type of ない (nai) does not take a “さ (sa)” before そう (sou).
Just remember that if you are using the negative form of verbs with そう (sou), the verbs will always end with なそう (nasasou).
Verb Examples:
| Verb in Plain Negative Form | Remove the Final い (i) | + そう (Sou) | Verb in Plain Negative Form with そう (Sou): It does not seem/look like ~. |
| 落ちない (ochinai) Do not / will not fall | 落ちな | + そう | 落ちなそう (ochina sou): It does not seem / look like someone / something will fall ~ . |
| 来ない (konai) Do not / will not come | 来な | + そう | 来なそう (kona sou): It does not seem / look like someone / something will come ~ . |
| 寝ない (nenai) Do not / will not sleep | 寝な | + そう | 寝なそう (nena sou): It does not seem / look like someone / something will sleep ~ . |
| 飲まない (nomanai) Do not / will not drink | 飲まな | + そう | 飲まなそう (nomana sou): It does not seem / look like someone / something will drink ~ . |
*Note: Some native Japanese speakers use the “さそう (sasou)” version with verbs (飲まなさそう (nomana sasou), 行かなさそう (ikana sasou), etc.) and it is becoming quite common (especially in the western areas of Japan). The truth is that it would work for some verbs, but not for others. As long as you remember that with verbs, you don’t put a “さ (sa)” before the “そう (sou),” you’ll be fine. However, I recommend remembering the なさそう (nasasou) form for verbs too, since there is a good chance you will hear people using it in Japan.
Sou With Negative Verbs: Option 2
Second, we can take the 〜そう (sou) form of the affirmative verb and add 〜（に) (も) ない.
● 来る (kuru, to come) → 来 + ます (kimasu, stem + masu) → 来 + そう (stem + sou= It seems/looks like someone will come) → 来そう +（に) (も) ない = 来そう (に) (も) ない (kisou (ni) (mo) nai): It does not seem/look like someone will come
Examples: そう (に) (も) ない
| Verb in Masu Form | Masu Stem | + そう (に) (も) ない (Sou (ni) (mo) nai) | Verb in Masu Stem Form with そう (に) (も) ない (Sou (ni) (mo) nai): It does not seem/look like ~. |
| 降ります (furimasu) To fall (rain, snow, etc.) | 降り (furi) | + そう (に) (も) ない | 降りそうにない/降りそうもない (furisou ni nai/furisou mo nai): It does not seem / look like something will fall (rain, snow, etc.) ~ . |
| 食べます (tabemasu) To eat | 食べ (tabe) | + そう (に) (も) ない | 食べそうにない/食べそうもない (tabesou ni nai/tabesou mo nai): It does not seem / look like someone / something will eat ~ . |
| 行きます (ikimasu) To go | 行き (iki) | + そう (に) (も) ない | 行きそうにない/行きそうもない (ikisou ni nai/ikisou mo nai): It does not seem / look like someone / something will go ~ . |
| します (shimasu) To do | し (shi) | + そう (に) (も) ない | しそうにない/しそうもない (shisou ni nai/shisou mo nai): It does not seem / look like someone / something will do ~ . |
In this case, we can use just に, just も, or both に and も (来そうにない、来そうもない、来そうにもない) —all are correct! Having both に and も strengthens the speaker’s conjecture (more on this below).
Of course, this last form can be conjugated into the long 〜ます form as well.
● 来そうにもない (kisou ni mo nai): plain non-past negative → 来そうにもありません (kisou ni mo arimasen): long non-past negative
Examples:
1. 誰もいないみたいだから、このお店はまだ開きそうにないね。
(Dare mo inai mitai dakara, kono omise wa mada akisou ni nai ne.)
It looks like there is no one inside, so this store doesn’t seem like it’ll open soon.
2. ダイエット中なのにお菓子をやめられないので瘦せそうにもありません。
(Daiettochū na noni okashi o yamerarenai node yasesou ni mo arimasen.)
I’m on a diet, but can’t stop eating snacks, so it doesn’t seem like I will lose weight.
Nuance of the Different Particles: そう (に) (も) ない
Let’s use the example, 雨が降る (Ame ga furu): It will rain.
雨が降らなさそう (Ame ga fura nasasou): Using the first “なさそう” pattern, this means “it does not look like it will rain.” You are saying this based on what you see. That is, you look up and see bright skies with no clouds in sight. Based on this visual information, it seems like it will not rain.
In English, this would translate to, “It looks like it won’t rain.”
雨が降りそうにない (Ame ga furisou ni nai): Using the “そうにない” pattern adds a bit more strength to this sentence. Instead of “it looks like it won’t rain,” 雨が降りそうにない feels as if you have more than just visual information about the situation. Not only can you see that the skies are clear, but you just looked at your weather app on your phone, and it said it wouldn’t rain. Of course, weather apps are wrong a lot of the time, but this gives you more confidence in your statement.
The English equivalent would be like saying, “It probably won’t rain.”
雨が降りそうもない (Ame ga furisou mo nai): Using the particle も instead of に adds more conviction to this statement. In English, this would be like saying, “There’s no way it’s gonna rain.”
雨が降りそうにもない (Ame ga furisou ni mo nai): Using both にも, is kind of tricky. Some Japanese people say it’s a little too formal (or even weird) to say this in casual conversation, but the meaning is nearly the same as 雨が降らなさそう (Ame ga fura nasasou).
The difference between the two is that 雨が降らなさそう (Ame ga fura nasasou) is a just a statement based on your observations, while 雨が降りそうにもない (Ame ga furisou ni mo nai) implies negative feelings towards something someone said. For example, if the weather report says it will rain today, but you look outside and there’s not a cloud in the sky, you could say, ” 雨が降りそうにもない。 (Ame ga furisou ni mo nai.).” This implies that there is some negative feelings in this statement. A suitable translation might be, “See?! I doesn’t look like it will rain at all!”
That being said, the meaning is similar, so you could say either expression to mean “It doesn’t look like it will rain.”
Using Sou With Adjectives
We attach 〜そう (sou) to adjectives to express that someone or something looks to be a certain way (based on appearance and without certainty). This creates a na-adjective that ends in 〜そう.
I-Adjectives: Seems/Looks ~
For I-adjectives, we attach 〜そう (sou) to the adjective stem.
● 美味しい (oishii, tasty) → 美味し + い (stem + i) → 美味し + そう = 美味しそう (oishi sou): Seems/Looks delicious
Example:
美味しそうなケーキ
(oishisou na kēki)
A tasty-looking cake (but we’re not certain it is tasty)
I-Adjective Examples:
| I-Adjective | I-Adjective Stem | + そう (Sou) | I-Adjective Stem with そう (Sou): It seems/looks ~. |
| 難しい (muzukashii) Difficult | 難し (muzukashi) | + そう | 難しそう (muzukashi sou): It seems / looks difficult ~ . |
| 重い (omoi) Heavy | 重 (omo) | + そう | 重そう (omo sou): It seems / looks heavy ~ . |
| 暑い (atsui) Hot | 暑 (atsu) | + そう | 暑そう (atsu sou): It seems / looks hot ~ . |
I-Adjectives: Does Not Seem / Look ~
To negate i-adjectives based on appearance (and without certainty), we take the negative form and remove the い (i) at the end and add 〜さそう.
● 難しい (muzukashii, difficult) → 難しくない (negative form) → 難しくな (final い (i) removed) + さそう = 難しくなさそう (muzukashikuna sasou): It does not seem/look difficult
Negative I-Adjective Examples:
| I-Adjective in Plain Negative Form | Remove the Final い (i) | + さそう (Sasou) | I-Adjective in Plain Negative Form with さそう (Sou): It does not seem/look ~. |
| 美味しくない (oishikunai) Not delicious | 美味しくな | + さそう | 美味しくなさそう (oishikuna sasou): It does not seem / look delicious ~ . |
| 重くない (omokunai) Not heavy | 重くな | + さそう | 重くなさそう (omokuna sasou): It does not seem / look heavy ~ . |
| 暑くない (atsukunai) Not hot | 暑くな | + さそう | 暑くなさそう (atsukuna sasou): It does not seem / look hot ~ . |
Example Sentences I-Adjectives: Seems/Looks ~
1. 新しい職場の人たちはみんな優しそうで良かった。
(Atarashii shokuba no hito tachi wa minna yasashisou de yokatta.)
I’m glad that people at my new job all seem kind.
2. 涼しそうだから木陰のベンチでお弁当を食べる？
(Suzushisou dakara kokage no benchi de obentō o taberu?)
Do you want to eat lunch at the bench in the tree shade, because it looks cool there?
Example Sentences I-Adjectives: Does Not Seem/Look ~
1. この映画はあまりおもしろくなさそう。
(Kono eiga wa amari omoshiroku nasasou.)
This movie doesn’t look that interesting.
2. あまり怖くなさそうなお化け屋敷だね。
(Amari kowaku nasasou na obakeyashiki dane.)
That haunted house doesn’t look that scary.
Na-Adjectives: Seems/Looks ~
For na-adjectives, we attach 〜そう to the adjective.
● 便利（な）(benri (na), convenient) → 便利 + そう = 便利そう (benri sou): Seems/Looks convenient
Example:
便利 + そうな電話
(benri sou na denwa)
A convenient-looking phone (but we’re not certain it is convenient)
Na-Adjective Examples:
| Na-Adjective | + そう (Sou) | Na-Adjective with そう (Sou): It seems looks ~. |
| 大丈夫 (daijōbu) Okay / All Right | + そう | 大丈夫そう (daijōbu sou): It seems / looks okay ~ . |
| 複雑 (fukuzatsu) Complicated | + そう | 複雑そう (fukuzatsu sou): It seems / looks complicated ~ . |
| 綺麗 (kirei) Pretty / Clean | + そう | 綺麗そう (kirei sou): It seems / looks pretty / clean ~ . |
Na-Adjectives Option 1: Does Not Seem/Look ~
There are also two ways to conjugate negative na-adjectives with そう (sou).
The first way is to negate the adjective using 〜ではない (dewa nai – plain non-past negative copula), drop the final 〜い (i), and add 〜さそう (sasou).
● 有名（な) (yūmei (na), famous) → 有名ではな (negative form) + い (final い (i) removed) → 有名ではな + さそう = 有名ではなさそう (yūmei de wa na sasou): They do not seem/look famous
Negative Na-Adjective Examples:
| Na–Adjective in Plain Negative Form | Remove the Final い (i) | + さそう (Sasou) | Na-Adjective in Plain Negative Form with さそう (Sou): It does not seem/look ~. |
大丈夫ではない (daijōbu dewa nai) Not okay/Not all right | 大丈夫ではな | + さそう | 大丈夫ではなさそう(daijōbu dewa na sasou): It does not seem / look okay ~ . |
| 複雑ではない (fukuzatsu dewa nai) Not complicated | 複雑ではな | + さそう | 複雑ではなさそう(fukuzatsu dewa na sasou): It does not seem / look complicated ~ . |
| 綺麗ではない (kirei dewa nai) Not pretty/Not clean | 綺麗ではな | + さそう | 綺麗ではなさそう(kirei dewa na sasou): It does not seem / look pretty / clean ~ . |
Instead of ではない (dewa nai), you can use the more casual じゃない (janai) too. じゃない (janai) is often used in casual conversations.
- 大丈夫ではなさそう (daijōbu dewa na sasou) → 大丈夫じゃなさそう (daijōbu ja nasasou)
- 複雑ではなさそう (fukuzatsu dewa na sasou) → 複雑じゃなさそう (fukuzatsu ja nasasou)
- 綺麗ではなさそう (kirei dewa na sasou) → 綺麗じゃなさそう (kirei ja nasasou)
Na-Adjectives Option 2: Does Not Seem/Look ~
You can also negate na-adjectives with そう (sou) by using 〜ではない (dewa nai)
Example:
有名そう + ではない
(yūmei sou dewa nai)
It does not seem/look famous
Examples: Na-Adjectives + そう (Sou) + ではわい (Dewa Nai)/じゃない (Janai)
| 大丈夫そうではない (daijōbusou dewa nai) | 大丈夫そうじゃない (daijōbusou janai) |
| 複雑そうではない (fukuzatsusou dewa nai) | 複雑そうじゃない (fukuzatsusou janai) |
| 綺麗そうではない (kireisou dewa nai) | 綺麗そうじゃない (kireisou janai) |
**Note: As an exception, when 〜そう is attached to the adjective いい (ii, good), it becomes よさそう (yosasou). The negative forms for いい would either be よくなさそう (yoku nasasou) よさそうではない (yosasou dewa nai). You can also say よさそうじゃない (yosasou janai) in casual conversations.
Example Sentences with Na-Adjectives: Seems/Looks ~
1. となりのおばあさんは90歳なのにとても元気そうだ。
(Tonari no obāsan wa 90sai na noni totemo genkisou da.)
The grandmother next door seems/looks very energetic even though she’s 90 years old.
2. 柔らかそうなタオルを買った。
(Yawarakasou na taoru o katta.)
I bought a towel that seems/looks soft.
Example Sentences with Negative Na-Adjectives: Does Not Seem/Look ~
1. 彼はあんなにお寿司を食べたのに、まだ満足ではなさそう。
(Kare wa anna ni osushi o tabeta noni, mada manzoku dewa nasasou.)
He ate so much sushi, but it doesn’t seem/look like his appetite is satisfied yet.
2. 吉田さんはあまり計算が得意そうじゃない。
(Yoshida san wa amari keisan ga tokuisou janai.)
Yoshida-san doesn’t seem/look like he’s good at math.
そうじゃない (Sou Janai) Vs. なさそう (Nasasou)
If both of these patterns mean “does not seem/look,” then why have two seperate patterns? It is true that the meaning of both is virtually the same. There is a slight different in nuance though.
For adjectives + なさそう (nasasou), you are just giving your opinion/judgement based on your own observations.
However, using adjectives + そうじゃない (sou janai) implies something negative against something that was said.
For example, imagine your sister, who has never cooked before saying, “Hey! I baked this delicious cake for everyone! Let’s eat it!” Unfortunately, the cake doesn’t look good at all.
If you were to say おいしくなさそう (oishiku na sasou), that would just mean, “It doesn’t look delicious.” It is a statement based on your observations of her cake.
However, if you say おいしそうじゃない (oishisou janai), it would have a nuance of, “What?! That doesn’t look delicious/good!”
Of course, you could also say おいしそうではない (oishisou dewa nai) instead of おいしそうじゃない (oishisou janai) to make it more formal.
Using Sou With Nouns
Nouns do not take the 〜そう (sou) suffix to express “it seems/looks (like),” unlike in the second usage of 〜そう to mean “I hear (that),” which we’re about to discuss!
Sou Meaning #2: I Hear (That) ~
The sentiment of “I hear (that)” using 〜そう (sou) expresses the speaker relaying something they heard (from a friend, on the news, etc.). For this usage, 〜そう can be attached to verbs, adjectives, and nouns.
Using そう (Sou) With Verbs
We attach 〜そう to verbs to express the hearsay that someone will do something or that something will happen. The 〜そう is attached to plain forms of verbs (dictionary form, plain negative forms, etc.).
● 行く (iku, to go) → 行く + そう (dictionary form + sou) = 行くそう (iku sou): I hear someone will go ~
● 雨が降る (ame ga furu, to rain) → 降らない (plain non-past negative) → 降らない ＋ そう = 降らないそう (furanai sou): I hear it will not (rain)
Examples of Sou With Verbs:
| Verb in Dictionary/Plain Form | + そう (Sou) | Verb with そう (Sou): I Hear That ~ . |
| 来る (kuru) To come | + そう | 来るそう (kuru sou): I hear that someone / something will come ~ . |
| 辞める (yameru) To quit / To resign | + そう | 辞めるそう (yameru sou): I hear that someone will quit / resign ~ . |
| 働かない (hatarakanai) Do not / Will not work | + そう | 働かないそう (hatarakanai sou): I hear that someone / something will not / does not work ~ . |
| しない (shinai) Do not / Will not do | + そう | しないそう (shinai sou): I hear that someone/something will not \ does not do ~ . |
Example Sentences:
1. 田中さんもパーティーに行くそうだ。
(Tanaka san mo pātī ni iku sou da.)
I hear Tanaka-san will go to the party too.
2. 天気予報によると、明日は雨が降らないそうです。
(Tenki yohō ni yoru to, ashita wa ame ga furanai sou desu.)
According to the weather report, it will not rain tomorrow.
Using そう (Sou) With Adjectives
We attach 〜そう (sou) to adjectives to express the hearsay that something is a certain way.
I-Adjectives
For i-adjectives, we attach 〜そう to the adjective.
● 楽しい (tanoshii, fun) → 楽しい + そう = 楽しいそう (tanoshii sou): I hear it is fun
● To express hearsay using negative i-adjectives, we can also simply add 〜そう to the end: 楽しくない + そう (tanoshikunai sou): I hear it isn’t fun
| I-Adjective | + そう (Sou) | I-Adjective with そう (Sou): I Hear That It’s ~ . /I Hear That It’s Not ~ . |
| 大きい (ookii) Big | + そう | 大きいそう (ookii sou): I hear that it’s big. |
| 速い (hayai) Fast | + そう | 速いそう (hayai sou): I hear that it’s fast. |
| 大きくない (ookikunai) Not big | + そう | 大きくないそう (ookikunai sou): I hear that it’s not big. |
| 速くない (hayakunai) Not fast | + そう | 速くないそう (hayakunai sou): I hear that it’s not fast. |
Example Sentences: I Hear That It’s ~
1. 警察官になる為のトレーニングはとても厳しいそうだ。
(Keisatsukan ni naru tame no torēningu wa totemo kibishii souda.)
I hear that the training to become a police officer is really tough.
2. ディズニーランドは楽しいそうだ。
(Dizunīrando wa tanoshii sou da.)
I hear that Disneyland is fun.
Example Sentences: I Hear That It’s Not ~
1. 田中さんは彼氏から花をもらったのに嬉しくないそうです。どうしてかな…
(Tanaka san wa kareshi kara hana o moratta noni ureshikunai sou desu. Dōshite kana…)
I hear that Tanaka-san received some flowers from her boyfriend but she’s not happy. I wonder why…
2. このスープは真っ赤だけど辛くないそうです。
(Kono sūpu wa makka dakedo karakunai sou desu.)
This soup is super red, but I hear that it’s not spicy.
Na-Adjectives
For na-adjectives, we attach the copula だ plus 〜そう to the adjective.
● 元気 (genki, well, energetic) → 元気 + だ + そう = 元気だそう (genki da sou): I hear they are doing well
| Na-Adjective | + だそう (Da Sou) | Na-Adjective with だそう (Da Sou): I Hear That It’s ~ . |
| 綺麗 (kirei) Pretty / Clean | + だそう | 綺麗だそう (kirei da sou): I hear that it’s pretty / clean. |
| 上手 (jōzu) Skillful | + だそう | 上手だそう (jōzu da sou): I hear that it’s skillful. |
| だめ (dame) No good | + だそう | だめだそう (dame da sou): I hear that it’s no good. |
Example Sentences:
1. 家族はみんな元気だそうです！
(Kazoku wa minna genki da sou desu!)
I hear that everyone in the family is doing well!
2. 晴れた日の富士山はとても綺麗だそうだ。
(Hareta hi no Fujisan wa totemo kirei da sou da.)
I hear that Mt. Fuji looks beautiful on a sunny day.
3. スミスさんは日本語が上手だそうです。
(Sumisu san wa nihongo ga jōzu da sou desu.)
I hear that Mr. Smith’s Japanese is good.
To express hearsay using negative na-adjectives, we first negate the adjective and then add 〜そう (sou): 元気ではない + そう (genki dewa nai sou)
You can also use the more casual じゃない instead of ではない. Let’s check out some examples.
Examples of Negative Na-Adjectives With Sou
| Na-Adjective in Plain Negative Form | + そう (Sou) | Na-Adjective with そう (Sou): I Hear That It’s Not ~ . |
| 綺麗ではない (kirei dewa nai) Not pretty / Not clean | + そう | 綺麗ではないそう (kirei dewa nai sou): I hear that it’s not pretty / not clean. |
| 上手ではない (jōzu dewa nai) Not skillful | + そう | 上手ではないそう (jōzu dewa nai sou): I hear that it’s / someone is not skillful. |
| だめじゃない (dame janai) Not no good | + そう | だめじゃないそう (dame janai sou): I hear that it’s not no good (it’s okay). |
| 元気じゃない (genki janai) Not well / Not lively | + そう | 元気じゃないそう (genki janai sou): I hear that it’s / someone is not well / not lively. |
Example Sentences:
1. 山田さんはあまりお酒が好きではないそうです。
(Yamada san wa amari osake ga suki dewa nai sou desu.)
I hear that Yamada-san doesn’t like alcohol much.
2. あのホテルは人気があって予約を取るのが簡単じゃないそうだよ。
(Ano hoteru wa ninki ga atte yoyaku o toru no ga kantan janai sou da yo.)
I hear that the hotel is popular so it is hard to get reservations.
Using そう (Sou) With Nouns
We attach 〜そう to nouns to express the hearsay that someone or something is of a particular nature. In this case, like with na-adjectives, we attach the copula だ plus 〜そう to the noun.
● 学生 (gakusei, student) → 学生 + だ + そう = 学生だそう (gakusei da sou): I hear that they are students
Examples of Nouns With Sou
| Noun | + だそう (Da Sou) | Noun with だ そう (Da Sou): I Hear That It’s ~. |
| お休み (oyasumi) Holiday / Day Off | + だそう | お休みだそう (oyasumi da sou): I hear that it’s their holiday / day off. |
| 仕事 (shigoto) Job | + だそう | 仕事だそう (shigoto da sou): I hear that it’s a / someone’s job. |
| デパート (depāto) Department Store | + だそう | デパートだそう (depāto da sou): I hear that it’s a department store. |
Just like the other forms, you can add ではない (dewa nai) or じゃない (janai) + そう (sou) to say that “I hear that it’s not ~ .”
| お休みではないそう (oyasumi dewa nai sou) I hear that it is not a holiday / day off. | お休みじゃないそう (oyasumi janai sou) I hear that it is not a holiday / day off. |
| 仕事ではないそう (shigoto dewa nai sou) I hear that it is not a job. | 仕事じゃないそう (shigoto janai sou) I hear that it is not a job. |
| デパートではないそう (depāto dewa nai sou) I hear that it is not a department store. | デパートじゃないそう (depāto janai sou) I hear that it is not a department store. |
Example Sentences: I Hear That ~ .
1. 梅原さんは学生だそうですよ。
(Umehara san wa gakusei da sou desu yo.)
I hear that Umehara-san is a student.
2. あのパン屋さん、月曜日はお休みだそうですよ。
(Ano panya san, getsuyōbi wa oyasumi da sou desu yo.)
I hear that that bakery is closed on Mondays.
Example Sentence: I Hear That It’s Not ~ .
1. 歴史のテストは明日じゃないそうだよ。
(Rekishi no tesuto wa ashita janai sou da yo.)
I hear that the history exam is not tomorrow.
Conclusion
Both uses of the 〜そう suffix are great to have in your Japanese toolkit! Try using it to strike up a conversation, whether you’re talking about a tasty-looking dessert or sharing something you heard through the news!
