Translation guide
Expresses that something appears to be the case based on evidence, hearsay, or impression. Japanese uses different structures depending on the source of information and level of certainty.
You are making a judgment from what you see, hear, or feel right now.
Attach to the stem of verbs and adjectives to express 'it looks/seems' based on direct evidence. For い-adjectives, drop the final い; for な-adjectives, use the stem without な.
It seems like it's going to rain.
This cake looks delicious.
He seems well.
Casual, conversational way to say 'it seems like' based on direct impression. Attach to plain forms.
That person seems angry.
More formal/written equivalent of みたいだ. Used for inference from evidence.
He seems to be tired.
You are relaying something you heard from someone else or read somewhere.
Attach to the plain form of verbs, adjectives, or nouns + だ to mean 'I heard that...'. Note: this is a different そうだ from the evidence-based one; here it follows the full plain form.
You are guessing or have a feeling about something, without strong evidence.
Literally 'I have a feeling that...'. Used for intuitive, subjective impressions. Attach to plain form.
You are describing how something looks or appears, often with a nuance of 'apparently'.
I heard it's going to rain tomorrow.
I heard he's a student.
Very casual hearsay marker used in conversation. Simply attach to the end of the quoted information.
I heard it's gonna rain tomorrow.
Formal written expression for 'it is said that' or 'it means that'. Often used in news or reports.
It seems the meeting will be postponed.
I have a feeling something good will happen today.
I have a feeling he won't come.
More thoughtful 'it seems to me that...'. Slightly more formal than 気がする.
His explanation seems a bit strange to me.
Adverb meaning 'indeed', 'really', 'truly seeming'. Often used with そうだ or らしい to emphasize the appearance.
It's a truly delicious-looking cake.
Expresses that something seems typical or characteristic of the subject, based on what you know. Attach to nouns, adjectives, or verbs.
He seems like a typical Japanese person.
Today's weather is spring-like.
I heard it will rain (hearsay).
みたい is casual and based on direct impression. らしい is based on typical characteristics or indirect evidence. そう (stem) is based on immediate sensory evidence. そう (plain form) is hearsay.
English 'it seems' is often used as a hedge. In Japanese, overusing そうだ can sound evasive or unnatural. Use 気がする for personal hunches, or simply state facts without hedging when appropriate.