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そう (sou) Japanese meaning: seems | Kotomora
そう also: そっ · そー · そ〜 · そお · そーお · そーう · そおお · そぅ
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It looks like it's going to rain.
This cake looks delicious, doesn't it?
Usage patterns 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 そう looks like it will (verb) / seems about to (verb)
It looks like it's going to rain.
〈 形けい 容よう 詞し 〉 そう looks (adjective)
This cake looks delicious.
〈 動どう 詞し 〉 そうになる to almost do (verb); to be on the verge of doing (verb)
I almost fell on the stairs.
〈 動どう 詞し 〉 そうにない doesn't look like it will (verb)
It doesn't look like it will clear up today.
Related words· 7 そう expresses a conjecture based on direct sensory impression (e.g. how something looks), while よう is used for more indirect, reasoned inference.
そう conveys the speaker's own immediate visual impression, whereas らしい is based on reported or typical/characteristic information.
そう and みたい both express 'looks like', but みたい is more casual and can attach to nouns directly, while そう attaches to verb/adjective stems.
然 (さ) is an archaic adverb meaning 'so', while そう is the everyday modern word used in its place.
Show 3 more そう is the standard modern word for 'like that/so' in all registers, while 然（しか）is archaic and confined to classical texts.
そう is the everyday, colloquial way to say something 'looks/seems like' something, while げ is a more literary, subtle suffix attached mainly to adjective stems.
そう describes an appearance based on direct visual or sensory evidence attached to adjective/verb stems, whereas 様 can also express resemblance, inference, or a manner of doing something.
Don't confuse with こう points to something close to the speaker (this way), while そう points to something closer to the listener or already mentioned (that way).
ああ refers to something distant from both speaker and listener, whereas そう refers to something close to the listener or already mentioned, and the two are easy to mix up.
どう asks 'how' about something unknown, while そう means 'in that way' referring to something near the listener or previously mentioned.
Written forms そう Usage 100%
Standard kana spelling for this auxiliary/adjectival noun.
そー Usage <1%
search-only kana form
Search-only kana form; not a practical written spelling.
Etymology Derived from the classical auxiliary そう (sō), which expressed appearance or hearsay. The modern form is a grammaticalized suffix used for direct conjecture.
