Japatan
Formation
- Vます形 + そうだ(降り + そうだ)
- いA(〜い を取る) + そうだ(おいし + そうだ)
- なA + そうだ(元気 + そうだ)
- いい → よさそうだ、ない → なさそうだ
- 名詞の前: 〜そうな + N / 動詞の前: 〜そうに + V
Explanation
This そうだ describes an impression based on how something looks. (1) With adjectives: looks ~ (looks delicious, looks hard). (2) With verbs: seems about to happen or likely to happen (it looks like it will rain). It is for impressions not yet confirmed, so it is not used for things that are obvious at a glance, like a color.
Examples
この ケーキは とても おいしそうですね。
This cake looks really delicious.
空が 暗いですね。雨が 降りそうです。
The sky is dark. It looks like it's going to rain.
新しい 仕事は 大変そうですね。
Your new job seems tough.
この ホテルは 駅から 近くて よさそうですね。
This hotel is close to the station and looks good.
Notes
Do not confuse it with hearsay そうだ: 降りそうだ (looks like it will rain) vs 降るそうだ (I heard it will rain). It does not attach to nouns (not 学生そうだ).
Related grammar
Mini quiz
1空が 暗くて、今にも 雨が（ ）です。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 2 降りそう
The sky is dark and it looks like it will rain at any moment. The impression comes from what I see, so the masu-stem form 降りそう. 降るそう and 降ったそう are hearsay and do not fit 今にも.
2この かばんは 軽くて 丈夫で、とても（ ）ですね。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 3 よさそう
This bag is light and strong, and looks very good. The appearance form of いい is よさそう. いいそう and よいそう are hearsay forms, and よそう is not correct.
3「そうだ(様態)」の 使い方が 正しい 文は どれですか。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 4 子どもたちが 楽しそうに 遊んで います。
4 (The children are playing happily) is correct. 1 is wrong because color is obvious at a glance. 2 is wrong because this そうだ does not attach to nouns. 3 should be 元気そうに.
