～そう Form
Meaning
Expresses that something looks like or seems like it will happen, based on appearance or impression.
How to Form
Verbs
For verbs, we use the い-stem and add "そう" at the end.
| Verb Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ichidan (る) | い-stem (Remove る) + そう | 食べる → 食べそう |
| Godan (う) | い-stem + そう | 飲む → 飲みそう |
| Negative | い-stem + なさそう | 飲む → 飲まなさそう |
| Irregular | 来る(くる) → 来そう(こそう) noun+する → noun+しそう |
来る → 来そう |
Adjectives
| Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| い-adjective | Remove い + そう | おいしい → おいしそう |
| な-adjective | Drop な + そう | 元気な → 元気そう |
| Negative | ない form - い + さそう | おいしくない → おいしくなさそう |
Describes appearance, not confirmed fact. Not all adjectives work naturally with そう.
Examples
-
子どもが泣きそう。
The child looks like they’re about to cry. -
雨が降りそう。
Looks like it’s going to rain. -
彼は来なさそう。
He doesn’t look like he’ll come. -
このケーキ、おいしそう。
This cake looks delicious. -
このスープはおいしくなさそう。
This soup doesn’t look tasty.
Notes
- Often used for visual or contextual impressions, not factual statements.
- Can attach to verb stems or adjective stems depending on usage.
- 来る → 来そう (irregular)