Judging by What You See
This そう reports your own impression from looking at something. You have not tasted the cake; it looks delicious.
- おいしそうですね。(That looks delicious.)
- 雨が降りそうです。(It looks like it's going to rain.)
Formation — Strip Things Off
The opposite of hearsay そう, which keeps everything:
| Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | ます stem | 降る → 降りそう |
| い-adjective | drop い | おいしい → おいしそう |
| な-adjective | attach directly | 元気 → 元気そう |
It Behaves as a な-Adjective
Unlike hearsay そう, this one conjugates:
- おいしそうなケーキ (a delicious-looking cake)
- 楽しそうに笑う (laugh happily)
- 元気そうじゃない (doesn't look well)
Two Irregulars
- いい → よさそう
- ない → なさそう
The さ is inserted because the stems are too short on their own.
The Limit: Only Visible Things
そう works for what you can perceive — appearance, texture, mood. It does not work where the answer is plain to see:
- × きれいそうですね。(Something either is or isn't visibly pretty.)
- ○ おいしそうですね。(You cannot see taste, so judging it is natural.)
If the quality is directly visible, say it outright.
About To Happen
With verbs, そう often means something is on the verge:
- 電車が来そうです。(The train's about to come.)
- 泣きそう。(I'm about to cry.)
Where It Sits Among the Guesses
| Pattern | Based on |
|---|---|
| そう (this page) | what you can see right now |
| ようだ | reasoning from evidence |
| らしい | what you heard |
| みたい | casual ようだ |