〜そうだ（様態）
〜そうだ（様態） means looks; seems likely. It is a JLPT N4 grammar point. The appearance-based 「〜そうだ」 is used when something looks a certain way from what you can see or from the situation. With i-adjectives, remove the final 「い」, and with verbs, attach it to the masu-stem to mean something seems likely to happen soon. The polite form is 「〜そうです」.
Japanese sources describe it as 「見た様子から〜と思う」.
〜そうだ（様態） examples
このケーキはおいしそうです。
This cake looks delicious.
雨が降りそうです。
It looks like it is going to rain.
〜そうだ（様態） exercises
Pick what belongs in the parentheses. The answer is marked below.
このカレーは辛（ ）。
- そうです ✓
- ようです
- らしいです
- はずです
This curry looks spicy.
今にも雨が降り（ ）。
- そうな
- そうです ✓
- そうに
- らしい
It looks like it is about to rain.
Learn this pattern by using it
JpMaster places N4 grammar between vocabulary lessons and drills it with fill-in-the-blank and sentence ordering. Free to use.
Start your first lesson