In this article, we will explore how to use the expression “Hear Say” in Japanese. It is a simple concept that involves the word そう (sou) in combination with です (desu) or other conjugations.
The expression is applied when the speaker reports something they heard from another person, functioning as a way to convey rumors or unconfirmed information. For more informal situations, instead of そうです (soudesu), we use そうだ (souda).
Table of Contents
Meanings and Context of Use
The expression そうです is frequently used to convey rumors or probabilities, with meanings such as:
- it seems that ~
- hear say that ~
- people say that ~
- is about to ~
- is going to ~
- prone to ~
- almost ~
Another use of そう occurs with adjectives to indicate an impression or prediction. Here are some examples:
- 美味しそう – Oishisou – looks delicious
- 重そう – Omosou – looks heavy
- 暑そう – Atsusou – looks hot
- 優しそう – Yasashisou – looks kind
- 良さそう – Yosasou – looks good
Using そう with Verbs
The expression そう also applies to verbs, modifying the meaning to fit the context of the sentence. Here are some illustrative examples:
- 泣きそう – naki-sou – about to cry
- 来そう – kisou – about to come
- 起きそう – okisou – about to get up
- しそう – shisou – about to do (する)
- 落ちそう – about to fall
- 降りそう – furisou – looks like it will rain
- 降らなさそう – furanasasou – looks like it won’t rain
Example Sentences
Now how do verbs or adjectives fit into a sentence? Let’s see some examples below:
中に眠りそうだった。
Chū ni nemuri-sōdatta.
Translation: I almost fell asleep during the class.
あの子が泣きそうです。
Ano ko ga naki-sō desu.
Translation: This child is about to cry.
雨が降りそうです。
Ame ga furi-sō desu.
Translation: Looks like it will rain.
もう食べられそう？
Mō taberare-sō?
Translation: Do you think we can eat now?
ねえ、今日来られそう？
Nee, kyō korare-sō?
Translation: Hey, do you think we can go out today?
雪が降りそうですね。
Yuki ga furi-sō desu ne.
Translation: Looks like it will snow.
この本は高そうです。
Kono hon wa taka-sō desu.
Translation: This book looks expensive.
この映画はとてもいいそうだ。
Kono eiga wa totemo ii sō da.
Translation: I heard that this movie is very good.
昨日雪が降ったそうです。
Kinō yuki ga futta sō desu.
Translation: I heard it snowed yesterday.
彼女は弁護士だそうだ。
Kanojo wa bengoshi da sō da.
Translation: I heard that she is a lawyer.
If we conjugate そう in the following way, we will have different meanings:
- そうもない – soumonai – very unlikely
- そうにもない – sounimonai – unlikely, impossible
でも、そんなこと、ありそうにもないでしょう？
Demo, son'na ko to, ari-sō ni mo naideshou?
Translation: It doesn’t seem likely, does it?
今君は自分で自分を監視できそうにもないよ。
Ima kimi wa jibun de jibun o kanshi deki-sō ni mo nai yo.
Translation: At the moment you are not capable of being your own tutor.
そうですか
To conclude, it is worth highlighting the famous expression そうですか (sou desu ka), which means “Is that so?” and which, depending on the context, can even sound a bit sarcastic. Now that we better understand the use of そう, it is worth reflecting on how it fits into this question: what leads someone to use this expression and what is the intention behind it? This reasoning exercise will help deepen your understanding even further.
With the knowledge gained about the meaning and applications of そう, our sentences in Japanese become richer and more expressive. Understanding how a single word can convey so many nuances allows us to better grasp what Japanese people mean in different situations. The next step is to practice: memorize the examples, use them in conversations, and over time, the expression そう will become a natural part of your vocabulary, allowing you to communicate more fluently and accurately.
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