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L43 · そう (looks like) · てきます
FOR TEACHERS ≈35 min to teach · 20 slides · 8 checks 2 min a slide, 1.5 a check. An estimate, not a lesson plan.
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REF そうです (様態) · てきます ›
1. 〜そうです— appearance (様態)
Based on what you can see right now.
| Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb | ます-stem + そう | 雨が降りそうです |
| い-adj | drop い + そう | おいしそうです |
| な-adj | + そう | 元気そうです |
Irregulars: いい → よさそう · ない → なさそう
Don't use そう for things plainly visible: きれいそう ✕ — you can just seeit's pretty. Same for 赤そう, 大きそう(△).
Negative forms
| Type | Negative |
|---|---|
| adjective | おいしくなさそうです |
| verb | 降りそうにありません / 降りそうもありません |
Modifying and adverbial forms
| Position | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| before a noun | 〜そうな | おいしそうなケーキ |
| before a verb | 〜そうに | おいしそうに食べます |
そう behaves as a な-adjective in every respect.
2. Two senses of様態そう
| Sense | Example |
|---|---|
| looks / seems (judging by appearance) | このケーキはおいしそうです |
| about to happen (imminent) | 雨が降りそうです ·木が倒れそうです |
3. 〜てきます — go, do it, and come back
ちょっとたばこを買ってきます。
郵便局へ行ってきます。 — I'll be back.
Standard household exchange: 行ってきます ↔ 行ってらっしゃい
4. Preview: L43 そう vs L47 そう
| L43 appearance | L47 hearsay |
|---|---|
| 雨が降りそうです | 雨が降るそうです |
| ます-stem | plain form |
| looks like it'll rain | I heard it'll rain |
Set expressions会話
おいしそうですね。
元気そうですね。
雨が降りそうですから、傘を持って行きます。
行ってきます。—行ってらっしゃい。
Key vocabulary
詳説 In depth — grammar notes ›
1. 〜そうです — it looks that way
This そう reports what your eyes tell you, before you have any evidence beyond appearance. It attaches to the stem, and the result behaves as a な-adjective.
| Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| い-adj | drop い | おいしい→おいしそう · 高い→高そう |
| な-adj | drop な / だ | 元気→元気そう · 暇→暇そう |
| verb | ます-stem | 降ります→降りそう · 落ちます→落ちそう |
| exceptions | いい→よさそう · ない→なさそう |
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| このケーキはおいしそうです | This cake looks delicious. |
| 彼は元気そうですね | He looks well, doesn't he. |
| 今にも雨が降りそうです | It looks like it's going to rain any moment. |
| 棚の荷物が落ちそうですよ | The luggage on the rack looks about to fall. |
Never put そう on a plain form: おいしいそうです is a different pattern — that is hearsay (L47), "I hear it's delicious". One い changes the whole meaning.
Nouns cannot take this そう: 雨そうです ✕. Say 雨が降りそうです ○.
Negative forms
| Base | Negative appearance |
|---|---|
| おいしい | おいしくなさそうです |
| 元気 | 元気じゃなさそうです |
| 降ります | 降りそうにありません · 降りそうもありません |
For verbs, 〜そうにない / そうもない is the natural negative — 降らなさそう exists but sounds clumsy.
Modifying and adverbial forms
Because 〜そう is a な-adjective, it takes な before a noun and に before a verb.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| おいしそうなケーキを買いました | I bought a cake that looked delicious. |
| 子どもたちは楽しそうに遊んでいます | The children are playing happily (they look it). |
| 彼は寂しそうな顔をしていました | He had a lonely look on his face. |
2. The two senses of 様態そう
| Sense | Attaches to | Reading | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| looks / seems | adjectives | a judgement about a state | 難しそうな問題 |
| about to | verbs | an event on the brink | ボタンが取れそうです |
Adjective + そう is about appearance, so do not use it for things that are plainly visible. 彼女はきれいそうです ✕ — you can see beauty directly, so just say きれいです. Reserve そう for what you are inferring: 元気そう, 忙しそう, 高そう.
3. 〜てきます — go, do it, come back
| Sense | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| go and come back | ちょっとたばこを買ってきます | I'll just go and buy cigarettes (and be back). |
| do it there and return | お弁当を食べてきました | I ate my lunch out (before coming here). |
| set phrases | 行ってきます · ただいま | I'm off — see you later. |
| approach the speaker | 雨が降ってきました | It's started raining. |
| gradual change up to now | 日本語が分かってきました | I'm starting to understand Japanese. |
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 郵便局へ行ってきます | I'm going to the post office (and coming back). |
| コンビニで飲み物を買ってきましょうか | Shall I run out and get drinks? |
| 寒くなってきましたね | It's been getting cold, hasn't it. |
買ってきます promises you will return; 買いに行きます does not. Colleagues use the first when they step out of the office.
4. Preview: L43 そう vs L47 そう
| appearance (L43) | hearsay (L47) | |
|---|---|---|
| attaches to | stem | plain form |
| い-adj | おいしそうです | おいしいそうです |
| verb | 降りそうです | 降るそうです |
| noun | ✕ | 雨だそうです |
| means | it looks … | I hear that … |
Error table
| ✕ | ○ | Why |
|---|---|---|
| おいしいそうなケーキ | おいしそうなケーキ | drop the い for appearance |
| 雨そうです | 雨が降りそうです | nouns take no 様態 そう |
| いいそうです（見た目） | よさそうです | いい is irregular |
| 降らなさそうです | 降りそうにありません | verb negative uses そうにない |
| 楽しそうで遊んでいます | 楽しそうに遊んでいます | そう takes に as an adverb |
Try translating
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| That cake looks delicious. | そのケーキはおいしそうです |
| It looks like it's about to rain. | 雨が降りそうです |
| He looks busy. | 彼は忙しそうです |
| The children were playing happily. | 子どもたちは楽しそうに遊んでいました |
| It doesn't look like it'll rain. | 雨は降りそうにありません |
| I'll pop out and buy a drink. | ちょっと飲み物を買ってきます |
'It looks like it's going to rain.' (from the sky)
'That cake looks delicious.'
'He looks well/healthy.' (元気= な-adj)
いい → appearance form?
'It doesn't look like it will rain.'
'A delicious-looking cake' — modify the noun.
'He eats it as if it's delicious.' (adverbially)
'I'll go buy cigarettes (and come back).'
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みんなの日本語 · Lesson 43