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文法 · JLPT N4 grammar
〜そう (looks like)
sou · looks ~; looks about to ~
The stem plus そう says how something looks: おいしそう (looks delicious), 雨が降りそう (looks like it's going to rain).
How to form it
| Stem + そう | 降りそう |
| い-adj (drop い) + そう | 高そう |
| な-adj + そう | 元気そう |
How it is used
いい becomes よさそう and ない becomes なさそう. It is not used for something you can plainly see, like a colour.
Before a noun it is そうな (おいしそうなケーキ); before a verb, そうに (楽しそうに話す).
Examples
Tap a kanji for its reading.
- このケーキはおいしそうですね。This cake looks delicious.
- 空が暗いですね。雨が降りそうです。The sky's dark. It looks like rain.
- 田中さんは忙しそうです。Tanaka looks busy.
- 子どもたちが楽しそうに遊んでいます。The children are playing happily.
Common mistake
- ✗ 雨が降るそうです。(meaning: it looks like rain)✓ 雨が降りそうです。With the plain form, そうだ means I hear. Looks like uses the stem.
Practice: 7 JLPT questions using 〜そう (looks like)
この ケーキは おいし（ ）ですね。たべて みたいです。
This cake looks delicious. I'd like to try it.
雨がふりそうなので、かさを（ ）ほうがいい。
It looks like rain, so you'd better take an umbrella.
男の 人は スーパーで 何を 買いますか。
What will the man buy at the supermarket? → Milk, eggs, and butter.
「これ、思ったより時間がかかりそうですね。」
"This looks like it'll take longer than we thought." — "Yes, we may need to revisit the deadline."
女の 人は はじめに 何を しますか。
M: Are you leaving already?
W: Yes. But before that I'll look for my umbrella — it looks like rain.
M: The umbrella's in the entrance hall.
W: Oh, thanks. Then I'll put my shoes on.
Q: What does the woman do first? — Put on her shoes.
そらが くらいです。雨が （ ）そうです。
The sky is dark. It looks like it's about to rain.
本を たなに もどす 作業に ついて、正しい ものは どれですか。
A city library started a 'librarian for a day' scheme this year. Primary-school children experience library work for one day, during the summer holidays.
The work includes returning books to the shelves and answering users' questions. Reshelving looks easy, but the books must go back in the correct number order, so it takes longer than expected. Children who took part said, 'I realised that books are easy to find because someone is organising them.'
According to the library, teaching children about work is not the only aim. 'We want them to feel they can support the places they use themselves,' a staff member said.
Q: Which is true about reshelving books? — It takes longer than it looks.