Japanese Grammar: ～そうです (Sou desu / Hearsay) – Usage & Examples

Sentence Pattern: Verb (plain form) + そうです (I hear that ～)

Sentence Pattern: Verb (plain form) + そsoうuでdeすsu

Grammar Explanation: I hear that ～ (used when the speaker conveys information obtained from someone else)

Ex.: 明あし日たは雨あめが降ふるそうです。

Rm.: Ashita wa ame ga furu sou desu.

En.: I hear that it will rain tomorrow.

Ex.: 北ほっ海かい道どうは雪ゆきが降ふっているそうです。

Rm.: Hokkaido wa yuki ga futte iru sou desu.

En.: I hear that it is snowing in Hokkaido.

Ex.: 彼かれは試し験けんを受うけないそうです。

Rm.: Kare wa shiken o ukenai sou desu.

En.: I hear that he will not take the exam.

Ex.: 吉よし田ださんはもう帰かえったそうです。
Rm.: Yoshida-san wa mou kaetta sou desu.

En.: I hear that Mr. Yoshida has already gone home.

Ex.: 彼かの女じょは昨日きのう来こなかったそうです。
Rm.: Kanojo wa kinou konakatta sou desu.

En.: I hear that she didn’t come yesterday.

Sentence Pattern: I-adjective (plain form) + そうです (I hear that ～)

Sentence Pattern: I-adjective (plain form) + そsoうuでdeすsu

Grammar Explanation: I hear that ～ (used when the speaker conveys information obtained from someone else)

Ex.: 期き末まつ試し験けんは難むずしいそうです。
Rm.: Kimatsu shiken wa muzukashii sou desu.

En.: I hear that the final exam is difficult.

Ex.: 彼かの女じょは背せが高たかくないそうです。
Rm.: Kanojo wa se ga takakunai sou desu.

En.: I hear that she is not tall.

Ex.: 台たい湾わんは暑あつかったそうです。
Rm.: Taiwan wa atsukatta sou desu.

En.: I hear that it was hot in Taiwan.

Ex.: あのレストランはおいしくなかったそうです。
Rm.: Ano resutoran wa oishikunakatta sou desu.

En.: I hear that the food at that restaurant was not good.

Sentence Pattern: Na-adjective (plain form) + そうです (I hear that ～)

Sentence Pattern: Na-adjective (plain form) + そsoうuでdeすsu

Grammar Explanation: I hear that ～ (used when the speaker conveys information obtained from someone else)

Ex.: 香ほん港こんは夜や景けいがきれいだそうです。

Rm.: Honkon wa yakei ga kirei da sou desu.

En.: I hear that Hong Kong has beautiful night views.

Ex.: 期き末まつ試し験けんは簡かん単たんじゃないそうです。
Rm.: Kimatsu shiken wa kantan janai sou desu.

En.: I hear that the final exam is not easy.

Ex.: 台たい湾わんの夜よ市いちは賑にぎやかだったそうです。
Rm.: Taiwan no yoichi wa nigiyaka datta sou desu.

En.: I hear that the night markets in Taiwan were lively.

Ex.: 配はい達たつの仕し事ごとは楽らくじゃなかったそうです。

Rm.: Haitatsu no shigoto wa raku janakatta sou desu.
En.: I hear that the delivery job was not easy.

Sentence Pattern: Noun (plain form) + そうです (I hear that ～)

Sentence Pattern: Noun (plain form) + そうです

Grammar Explanation: I hear that ～ (used when the speaker conveys information obtained from someone else)

Ex.: 田た中なかさんは26歳さいだそうです。

Rm.: Tanaka-san wa nijuuroku-sai da sou desu.

En.: I hear that Mr. Tanaka is 26 years old.

Ex.: 彼かれは学がく生せいじゃないそうです。
Rm.: Kare wa gakusei janai sou desu.

En.: I hear that he is not a student.

Ex.: 彼かれのおじいさんは医い者しゃだったそうです。
Rm.: Kare no ojiisan wa isha datta sou desu.

En.: I hear that his grandfather was a doctor.

Ex.: 彼かの女じょはモデルじゃなかったそうです。
Rm.: Kanojo wa moderu janakatta sou desu.

En.: I hear that she was not a model.

Reference: Minna no Nihongo Lesson 47

Sentence Pattern: Noun + によると、～そうです

Sentence Pattern: Noun + にniよyoるruとto、～そsoうuでdeすsu

Grammar Explanation: According to ～, I hear that ～

Ex.: 天気予報によると、明日は雨が降るそうですよ。

Rm.: Tenki yohou ni yoru to, ashita wa ame ga furu sou desu yo.

En.: According to the weather forecast, I hear it will rain tomorrow.

日常会話の伝達表現では、「Xによると、Yそうです」よりも、「Xで、Yと言っていました」の方が自然です。

In everyday conversation, it is more natural to use “X said that Y” rather than “According to X, Y.”

Sentence Pattern: Plain form + と言っていました (～said that～)

Sentence Pattern: Plain form + とto言iってtteいiまmaしshiたta

Grammar Explanation: ～said that～

Ex.: 天てん気き予よ報ほうで、明あし日たは雨あめが降ふると言いっていましたよ。

Rm.: Tenki yohou ni yoru to, ashita wa ame ga furu sou desu yo.

En.: According to the weather forecast, I hear it will rain tomorrow.

Reference: Minna no Nihongo Lesson 33

Japanese Grammar (日本語文法)

Learn essential Japanese grammar for daily conversations! Clear English translations and helpful illustrations make it easy to understand. Perfect for all Japanese learners!

english.learn-japanese-online.com