〜そう (appearance) — Looks like / Seems (direct perception)
Attached to adjective and verb stems to describe what something looks like based on the speaker's DIRECT observation ('looks like / seems'). Its adverbial form is 〜そうに and its noun-modifying form is 〜そうな. Distinct from hearsay そうだ, which attaches to full plain forms.
Structure
[Verb masu-stem] + そう | [い-adj drop い] + そう | [な-adj] + そう (adverb: 〜そうに / adnominal: 〜そうな)
Examples
空が暗くなって、雨が降りそうだ。
Sora ga kuraku natte, ame ga furisou da.
The sky has darkened; it looks like it'll rain.
降り (masu-stem) + そう = looks like it will fall
あの料理、おいしそう！
Ano ryouri, oishisou!
That dish looks delicious!
美味しい → 美味しそう (drop い + そう)
彼は今日、元気そうですね。
Kare wa kyou, genkisou desu ne.
He looks well/energetic today.
元気 (な-adj) + そう = looks energetic
• KEY N4 EXAM POINT — two そう patterns: (1) APPEARANCE: stem + そう ('looks…'): 面白そう 'looks interesting.' (2) HEARSAY: plain form + そうだ ('I heard…'): 面白いそうだ 'I heard it's interesting.' • い-adj exceptions: いい → よさそう (not いそう); ない → なさそう (not なそう).
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones 〜そう is tested against.
vs そうだ (hearsay)
Hearsay attaches to the FULL plain form (美味しいそうだ = 'I heard it's tasty'). This appearance そう cuts the stem (美味しそうだ = 'it looks tasty').
vs ようだ / みたい
よう/みたい judge based on collected evidence or resemblance. Appearance 〜そう is an immediate, surface impression the moment you look ('about to…, looks…').
vs らしい
らしい relies on outside information or typical characteristics. 〜そう is your own on-the-spot visual guess.
More hearsay & conjecture
Study Japanese grammar on LenGaki
Everything on this page, free to browse
- 7,788 JLPT vocabulary words, N5 through N1, with readings and audio
- 2,057 kanji with on'yomi, kun'yomi and stroke-order practice
- 444 grammar points with examples and commonly-confused comparisons
- Full-length N5 and N4 mock exams, timed, with real listening audio
Get the Android app