Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
様子 (ようす, yousu) Japanese meaning: state | Kotomora
Report an issue with this page
おし
え
て
ください
。
Please tell me how the meeting is going.
I'll go check what's happening outside.
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 の 様よう 子す がおかしい someone is acting strange / seems off
He's been acting strange today.
〈 事こと 〉 の 様よう 子す を 聞き く to ask about how something is going
I asked how the meeting went.
〜 という 様よう 子す だ to look/appear as if ~ (reporting an observed impression)
He looked like he was in trouble.
〈 事こと 〉 の 様よう 子す がない there's no sign that ~ (is happening)
There's no sign of the rain letting up.
〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 の 様よう 子す を 報ほう 告こく する to report on the situation at a place
I reported on the situation at the site.
Expressions 様よう 子す を 伺うかが う wait and see; see how things go; gauge the situation 様よう 子す を 見み る wait and see; see how things go; survey the situation Kanji 子 child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM Related words· 11 状態 is a more formal, objective term for a condition (often physical or technical), while 様子 focuses on the visible, perceivable side of a situation.
状況 describes the broader, more abstract circumstances surrounding an event, whereas 様子 is about what can actually be seen or sensed.
気配 is a faint, sensed hint that something is happening, while 様子 in this sense (sign/indication) is a slightly more concrete observable clue.
様子 broadly describes how a situation looks or is going, while 模様 is used more in reporting or formal contexts for the same idea, as in 試合の模様.
Show 7 more 様子 is the common, everyday word for someone's or something's state or appearance, while 様 used as a noun is more literary and appears mainly in formal or written contexts.
様子 is the common, general word for how something looks or seems, whereas 体 (てい) is a stiffer, more literary term used in set phrases.
様子 describes a state or situation that can change dynamically, whereas 姿 is a more static, visual impression of form or appearance.
Don't confuse with 模様 usually means a pattern or design but can also mean 'the look of things' (as in 雨模様), which learners confuse with 様子's meaning of overall situation.
様子 is a common, everyday word for the visible 'look' or condition of something, while 様相 is a more formal, often abstract term used in analytical or written contexts.
Written forms 様よう 子す Usage 86%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and everyday use.
ようす Usage 14%
容よう 子す Usage 1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should recognize it but use 様子.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese word based on Chinese 様子 “appearance, manner, condition.” In Japanese, 子 has the conventional reading す in this compound.
様子 describes the outward, observable appearance of a situation, while 有様 focuses on the overall (often bad) state of affairs.
様子 describes the general state or how something appears, while 表情 is specifically about an expressive look conveying feeling.
様子 describes the observable state or condition a situation is in, while 形 in this sense emphasizes the shape or outcome that situation has taken.
様子 describes the general state or condition of a situation, similar to how 格好 is used in patterns like 〜という格好になる to mean the resulting state of affairs.
