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Lesson 43 — そうです (様態ようたい) · てきます

BOOK II · 初級 II みんなの日本語 · Mini no Nihongo

L43 · そう (looks like) · てきます

Name Date

REFそうです (様態ようたい) · てきます

1. 〜そうです— appearance (様態ようたい)

Based on what you can see right now.

TypeRuleExample
verbます-stem + そう
い-adjdrop い + そう
な-adj+ そう

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 赤あかそう, 大おおきそう(△).

Negative forms

TypeNegative
adjective
verb

Modifying and adverbial forms

PositionFormExample
before a noun
before a verb

そう behaves as a な-adjective in every respect.

2. Two senses of様態ようたいそう

SenseExample
looks / seems (judging by appearance)
about to happen (imminent)

3. 〜てきます — go, do it, and come back

— I'll be back.

Standard household exchange: ↔

4. Preview: L43 そう vs L47 そう

L43 appearanceL47 hearsay
ます-stemplain form
looks like it'll rainI heard it'll rain

Set expressions会話かいわ

Key vocabulary

増ふえます減へります上あがります下さがります変かわります続つづきます倒たおれます落おちますなくなりますやみます寂さびしいうれしい優やさしい複雑ふくざつ十分じゅうぶんおかしい棚たな枝えだ電池でんちガソリン今いまにも

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.

TypeRuleExample
い-adjdrop い
な-adjdrop な / だ
verbます-stem
exceptions
JapaneseEnglish
This cake looks delicious.
He looks well, doesn't he.
It looks like it's going to rain any moment.
The luggage on the rack looks about to fall.

Never put そう on a plain form: 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: ✕. Say ○.

Negative forms

BaseNegative appearance

For verbs, is the natural negative — 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.

JapaneseEnglish
I bought a cake that looked delicious.
The children are playing happily (they look it).
He had a lonely look on his face.

2. The two senses of 様態ようたいそう

SenseAttaches toReadingExample
looks / seemsadjectivesa judgement about a state
about toverbsan event on the brink

Adjective + そう is about appearance, so do not use it for things that are plainly visible. ✕ — you can see beauty directly, so just say . Reserve そう for what you are inferring: 元気げんきそう, 忙いそがしそう, 高たかそう.

3. 〜てきます — go, do it, come back

SenseExampleEnglish
go and come backI'll just go and buy cigarettes (and be back).
do it there and returnI ate my lunch out (before coming here).
set phrasesI'm off — see you later.
approach the speakerIt's started raining.
gradual change up to nowI'm starting to understand Japanese.
JapaneseEnglish
I'm going to the post office (and coming back).
Shall I run out and get drinks?
It's been getting cold, hasn't it.

promises you will return; 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 tostemplain form
い-adj
verb
noun✕
meansit looks …I hear that …

Error table

✕○Why
drop the い for appearance
nouns take no 様態 そう
いい is irregular
verb negative uses そうにない
そう takes に as an adverb

Try translating

EnglishJapanese
That cake looks delicious.
It looks like it's about to rain.
He looks busy.
The children were playing happily.
It doesn't look like it'll rain.
I'll pop out and buy a drink.

練習 Practice — 8 questions

  1. Q1 appearance · verb

    'It looks like it's going to rain.' (from the sky)

    そ
    う
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B ます-stem + そう = looks like (L43). 降ふるそう = I heard (L47)
  2. Q2 appearance · い-adj

    'That cake looks delicious.'

    そ
    う
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B い-adj: drop い + そう
  3. Q3 appearance · な-adj

    'He looks well/healthy.' (元気げんき= な-adj)

    そ
    う
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    A な-adj + そう directly
  4. Q4 irregular

    いい → appearance form?

    い
    い
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    C いい → よさそう (and ない → なさそう)
  5. Q5 negative · verb

    'It doesn't look like it will rain.'

    否定 ひてい
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B Verb negative: 〜そうにありません / 〜そうもありません
  6. Q6 そう + noun

    'A delicious-looking cake' — modify the noun.

    修飾 しゅうしょく
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B そう behaves as a な-adj: おいしそうな + noun
  7. Q7 そう + verb

    'He eats it as if it's delicious.' (adverbially)

    修飾 しゅうしょく
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B Adverbial form: そうに
  8. Q8 go-and-return

    'I'll go buy cigarettes (and come back).'

    て
    き
    ま
    す
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
    B て-form + きます = go, do it, return

解答 Answer key

  1. Q1 B ます-stem + そう = looks like (L43). 降ふるそう = I heard (L47)
  2. Q2 B い-adj: drop い + そう
  3. Q3 A な-adj + そう directly
  4. Q4 C いい → よさそう (and ない → なさそう)
  5. Q5 B Verb negative: 〜そうにありません / 〜そうもありません
  6. Q6 B そう behaves as a な-adj: おいしそうな + noun
  7. Q7 B Adverbial form: そうに
  8. Q8 B て-form + きます = go, do it, return