Introduction

Hello everyone!
In this lesson, we’re going to learn about the different ways to use そうです in Japanese.
It has multiple meanings depending on the context, such as “looks like” or “I heard that.”
Let’s explore six different usages with examples.

1. Verb (ます-form, without ます) + そうです

Verb (ます-form, without ます) + そうです is used to express something that “looks like” it’s about to happen.

Examples:

The use of the verb:

降る --> 降ります --> 降り

雨 が 降り そうです。
(Ame ga furi sou desu.)
"Looks like the rain is going to fall."

The use of the verb:

取れる --> 取れます --> 取れ

シャツ の ボタン が 取れ そうです。
(Shatsu no botan ga tore sou desu.)
"Looks like the button in your shirt is going to come off."

This usage is based on your observation.

2. Verb (plain or dictionary form) + そうです

Verb (plain or dictionary form) + そうです is used to indicate something you heard or learned from someone else.

Examples:

The use of the verb:

降る

雨 が 降る そうです。
(Ame ga furu sou desu.)
"I heard that it’s going to rain."

The use of the verb:

取れる

シャツ の ボタン が 取れる そうです。
(Shatsu no botan ga toreru sou desu.)
"I heard that the button in your shirt is going to come off."

This expresses second-hand information.

3. い-Adjective with い removed + そうです

い-Adjectives, if you remove the い + そうです it means "looks like."

Examples:

The use of the い-Adjective:

嬉しい --> 嬉し

彼女 は 嬉し そうです。
(Kanojo wa ureshi sou desu.)
"It looks like she is happy."

The use of the い-Adjective:

優しい --> 優し

彼 は 優し そうです。
(Kare wa yasashi sou desu.)
"It looks like he is kind."

This usage is based on appearance or impression.

4. い-Adjective (without removing い) + そうです

い-Adjective (without removing い) + そうです it means "I heard that."

Examples:

The use of the い-Adjective:

嬉しい

彼女 は 嬉しい そうです。
(Kanojo wa ureshii sou desu.)
"I heard that she is happy."

The use of the い-Adjective:

優しい

彼 は 優しい そうです。
(Kare wa yasashii sou desu.)
"I heard that he is kind."

This expresses second-hand information.

5. な-Adjective with な removed + そうです

For な-Adjectives, if you remove the な + そうです, it means "looks like."

Examples:

The use of the な-Adjective:

きれいな --> きれい

彼女 は きれい そうです。
(Kanojo wa kirei sou desu.)
"It looks like she is beautiful."

元気な --> 元気

彼 は 元気 そうです。
(Kare wa genki sou desu.)
"It looks like he is energetic."

This usage is based on appearance or impression.

6. な-Adjective with な replaced with だ + そうです

For な-Adjectives, if you replace な with だ, it means "I heard that."

Examples:

The use of the な-Adjective:

きれいな --> きれいだ

彼女 は きれいだ そうです。
(Kanojo wa kirei da sou desu.)
"I heard that she is beautiful."

元気な --> 元気だ

彼 は 元気だ そうです。
(Kare wa genki da sou desu.)
"I heard that he is energetic."

This expresses second-hand information.

Conclusion

To summarize, そうです is a versatile expression in Japanese that can mean either “looks like” or “I heard that” depending on the verb or adjective form.
With these examples, I hope you now feel confident using そうです in different contexts.