〜そうに
〜そうに means seemingly; in a ... way. It is a JLPT N4 grammar point. 「〜そうに」 describes the way an action is done, based on how it looks. It is usually followed by a verb and shows the mood, expression, or manner of the action. Because it is based on appearance, it may not be a confirmed fact.
Japanese sources describe it as 「〜のような様子で」.
〜そうに examples
子どもが楽しそうに笑っています。
The child is laughing happily.
先生は忙しそうに歩いています。
The teacher is walking as if busy.
〜そうに exercises
Pick what belongs in the parentheses. The answer is marked below.
母は（ ）笑いました。
- うれしそうな
- うれしいそうだ
- うれしそうに ✓
- うれしくて
My mother smiled happily.
犬は（ ）しています。
- 眠そうに ✓
- 眠そうな
- 眠いそうだ
- 眠くて
The dog looks sleepy.
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