Expressing Hearsay with ~sou da (I heard that...)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use ~sou da after a plain-form verb to report information you heard from someone else.
- Attach to plain form: {雨|あめ}が{降|ふ}るそうです (I heard it will rain).
- Works with adjectives: {高|たか}いそうです (I heard it is expensive).
- Works with nouns: {学生|がくせい}だそうです (I heard they are a student).
Overview
~sou da is your tool for this. It lets you pass on information you heard elsewhere.How This Grammar Works
sou da to the very end.~ni yoru to.nyu-su ni yoru to. This makes you sound very professional and credible. It’s like a grammar traffic light.
Formation Pattern
sou da directly. Example: taberu becomes taberu sou da.
i. Add sou da. Example: oishii becomes oishii sou da. Don't drop that i!
da after the adjective. Then add sou da. Example: kirei becomes kirei da sou da.
da after the noun. Then add sou da. Example: ame becomes ame da sou da.
da to desu for formal situations. Use sou desu in job interviews or with teachers.
When To Use It
When Not To Use It
sou da, which is different.sou da! That would be very weird.~rashii is often a better fit.
Common Mistakes
i in I-adjectives. If you say oishisou, you mean 'It looks delicious.' If you say oishii sou, you mean 'I heard it's delicious.' Yes, even native speakers might trip if they speak too fast. Another classic error is forgetting da for nouns. Ame sou da sounds like 'rainy-ish.' You must say ame da sou da. Think of da as the glue for nouns and na-adjectives. Also, don't mix up the past tense. If the event happened in the past, put the past tense *before* sou da. Itta sou da means 'I heard they went.' It's easy to get these flipped. Stay sharp!Contrast With Similar Patterns
~rashii. It also means 'I heard.' But ~rashii is more like 'It seems like' or 'based on what I've seen/heard.' It’s softer and more based on your own judgment. ~sou da is a more direct report of information.~tte. This is the informal, 'cool' version of ~sou da. You'll use ~tte with friends at a bar.~sou da or ~sou desu in more structured environments. Finally, compare it to ~mitai da. ~mitai da is for visual evidence or comparisons.mitai. If you heard they are a child, use sou da. They aren't interchangeable!Quick FAQ
Is it okay for formal writing?
Yes, just use ~sou desu or ~da sou de aru in essays.
Can I use it for my own feelings?
No. You don't 'hear' your own feelings from others.
What if I don't know the source?
You can still use it, but ~rashii might feel more natural.
Is the 'appearance' version different?
Yes! Appearance drops the i or na. Hearsay keeps the full plain form.
Does it work with negative sentences?
Absolutely. Konai sou da means 'I heard they aren't coming.'
Formation Table
| Type | Plain Form | Hearsay Form |
|---|---|---|
|
Verb
|
行く
|
行くそうです
|
|
i-Adj
|
高い
|
高いそうです
|
|
na-Adj
|
静かだ
|
静かだそうです
|
|
Noun
|
学生だ
|
学生だそうです
|
Meanings
Indicates that the speaker is relaying information obtained from a third party or external source.
Hearsay
Reporting information heard from others.
“{彼|かれ}は{来|く}るそうです。”
“{店|みせ}は{閉|し}まったそうです。”
News/Rumor
Relaying general information or news.
“{新|あたら}しい{映画|えいが}は{面白|おもしろ}いそうです。”
“{彼|かれ}は{結婚|けっこん}するそうです。”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Plain + そうです
|
行くそうです
|
|
Negative
|
Plain Neg + そうです
|
行かないそうです
|
|
Past
|
Plain Past + そうです
|
行ったそうです
|
|
Noun/na-Adj
|
Plain + だそうです
|
静かだそうです
|
Espectro de formalidade
彼は来るそうです。 (Social)
彼は来るそうです。 (Social)
彼は来るそうだよ。 (Social)
来るってさ。 (Social)
Hearsay vs Appearance
Source
- 耳 Ears
Evidence
- 他人 Others
Exemplos por nível
{明日|あした}は{雨|あめ}だそうです。
I heard it will rain tomorrow.
{彼|かれ}は{忙|いそが}しいそうです。
I heard he is busy.
{新|あたら}しい{店|みせ}は{美味|おい}しいそうです。
I heard the new restaurant is delicious.
{試験|しけん}は{難|むずか}しいそうです。
I heard the exam is difficult.
{会議|かいぎ}は{延期|えんき}されるそうです。
I heard the meeting will be postponed.
{彼|かれ}は{来週|らいしゅう}{帰国|きこく}するそうです。
I heard he is returning to his country next week.
{新|あたら}しい{プロジェクト|ぷろじぇくと}は{成功|せいこう}したそうです。
I heard the new project was a success.
{彼|かれ}は{昇進|しょうしん}するそうです。
I heard he is getting a promotion.
{政府|せいふ}は{新|あたら}しい{法律|ほうりつ}を{導入|どうにゅう}するそうです。
I heard the government is introducing a new law.
{彼|かれ}は{辞職|じしょく}する{意向|いこう}だそうです。
I heard he intends to resign.
{専門家|せんもんか}によると、{経済|けいざい}は{回復|かいふく}するそうです。
According to experts, the economy will recover.
{彼|かれ}の{研究|けんきゅう}は{評価|ひょうか}されたそうです。
I heard his research has been evaluated.
Fácil de confundir
They look the same.
Erros comuns
行きますそうです
行くそうです
雨そうです
雨だそうです
高いだそうです
高いそうです
忙しいだそうです
忙しいそうです
綺麗そうです
綺麗だそうです
食べたそうです
食べたそうです
行くそうでした
行くそうです
雨が降るそう
雨が降るそうです
彼が来るそうです
彼は来るそうです
Padrões de frases
___ そうです。
Real World Usage
明日雨だって！
Plain Form is Key
Smart Tips
Use plain form.
Pronúncia
Intonation
Keep a flat pitch on 'sou'.
Neutral
行くそうです↑
Reporting facts.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Sou da sounds like 'So, that...' — 'So, that is what I heard!'
Associação visual
Imagine a telephone wire connecting two people. One person is whispering into the phone, and the other is saying 'Sou da!'
Rhyme
When you hear the news from a friend, add 'sou da' at the end.
Story
Tanaka-san told me it would rain. I told my friend, 'Ame ga furu sou da.' My friend nodded, understanding I heard it from Tanaka.
Word Web
Desafio
Ask three friends about their plans today and report them using '...sou desu'.
Notas culturais
Using hearsay shows you are careful about facts.
Derived from 'sou' (appearance) + 'da' (copula).
Iniciadores de conversa
What did you hear about the weather?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
彼が___そうです。
Score: /1
Exercicios praticos
1 exercises彼が___そうです。
Score: /1
Perguntas frequentes (1)
No, it's for reporting others.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Se dice que...
Spanish uses a prefix; Japanese uses a suffix.
On dit que...
French is a phrase; Japanese is a grammatical particle.
Soll...
German changes the verb; Japanese adds a suffix.
Yuqal anna...
Arabic is sentence-initial; Japanese is sentence-final.
～そうです
N/A
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Vídeos relacionados
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