JLPT N4

～そうです（appearance）

Looks like; seems like

Structure

Verbます-form (remove ます) + そうです / い-adjective (remove い) + そうです / な-adjective (remove な) + そうです

How it works

This grammar is used to express an educated guess or inference based on what you observe or perceive about a person, object, or situation. It suggests that something 'appears to be' or 'looks like' a certain way.

Examples

あのケーキ、とてもおいしそうです。

That cake looks very delicious.

Common mistakes

Confusing it with ～そうです (hearsay), which reports something heard (e.g., 天気予報によると、明日は雨が降るそうです。- According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow).

Tip

Think of it as adding 'looks' or 'seems' to a verb or adjective. 'そう' (sou) means 'that way,' so it's like saying 'it's that way based on what I see.'

More JLPT N4 grammar

ようにするようになるそうだ (appearance)そうだ (hearsay)ようだらしいかもしれないてしまう

See ～そうです（appearance） in real Japanese

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