Using 〜そうだ (Hearsay) | My Language Classes

〜そうだ (Hearsay): Expressing Reported Speech in Japanese

In Japanese, the grammar structure 〜そうだ (sou da) is used to express reported speech or hearsay. This form is used when conveying information that was heard from another source, similar to “I heard that…” or “It is said that…” in English. It differs from the 〜そうだ used for expressing appearance (e.g., “It looks like…”).

Understanding how to use 〜そうだ correctly is crucial for effective communication in Japanese, as it helps relay secondhand information accurately. In this blog, we will explore the formation, usage, and differences between 〜そうだ and similar structures like 〜ようだ.

Formation of 〜そうだ (Hearsay)

1. With Verbs

To form 〜そうだ with verbs, use the plain form (dictionary form or past form) of the verb before adding そうだ.

Verb (Plain Form) + そうだ
Verb (Past Form) + そうだ

Example:

来るそうだ (kuru sou da) → “I heard that he/she will come.”
行ったそうだ (itta sou da) → “I heard that he/she went.”

2. With Nouns

For nouns, simply attach だそうだ after the noun.

Noun + だそうだ

Example:

先生だそうだ (sensei da sou da) → “I heard that he/she is a teacher.”

3. With Adjectives

For -i adjectives: Remove い and add そうだ
- 面白い → 面白いそうだ (omoshiroi sou da) → “I heard that it is interesting.”
For -na adjectives: Attach だそうだ after the adjective
- 静か (shizuka) → 静かだそうだ (shizuka da sou da) → “I heard that it is quiet.”

Usage of 〜そうだ (Hearsay) in Different Situations

News and Reports:
- 日本の人口が減っているそうだ。
- Nihon no jinkou ga hetteiru sou da.
- “I heard that Japan’s population is decreasing.”
Casual Conversations:
- 明日、雨が降るそうだ。
- Ashita, ame ga furu sou da.
- “I heard that it will rain tomorrow.”
Quoting Someone Else’s Words:
- 田中さんは先生になるそうだ。
- Tanaka-san wa sensei ni naru sou da.
- “I heard that Tanaka-san will become a teacher.”

Situations Where 〜ようだ is Used

Unlike 〜そうだ (Hearsay), 〜ようだ is used for conjecture or resemblance. Some common cases include:

Guessing based on evidence
- 雨が降ったようだ。(Ame ga futta you da.) → “It seems like it rained.”
Comparisons and similarity
- 彼は日本人のようだ。(Kare wa nihonjin no you da.) → “He seems to be Japanese.”

List of Verbs, Nouns, and Adjectives with Their 〜そうだ (Hearsay) Forms

Word Type	Word (JP)	Hearsay Form	Example Sentence (JP)	Romaji	English Meaning
Verb	食べる (taberu)	食べるそうだ (taberu sō da)	先生は寿司を食べるそうだ。	Sensei wa sushi o taberu sō da.	The teacher is said to eat sushi.
			彼は毎日ケーキを食べるそうだ。	Kare wa mainichi kēki o taberu sō da.	He is said to eat cake every day.
Verb	行く (iku)	行くそうだ (iku sō da)	田中さんは東京に行くそうだ。	Tanaka-san wa Tōkyō ni iku sō da.	Tanaka-san is said to be going to Tokyo.
			来週、彼女は海外に行くそうだ。	Raishū, kanojo wa kaigai ni iku sō da.	Next week, she is said to be going abroad.
Verb	勉強する (benkyō suru)	勉強するそうだ (benkyō suru sō da)	彼は毎日日本語を勉強するそうだ。	Kare wa mainichi Nihongo o benkyō suru sō da.	He is said to study Japanese every day.
			兄は大学で医学を勉強するそうだ。	Ani wa daigaku de igaku o benkyō suru sō da.	My older brother is said to be studying medicine at university.
Verb	来る (kuru)	来るそうだ (kuru sō da)	彼は明日来るそうだ。	Kare wa ashita kuru sō da.	He is said to be coming tomorrow.
			友達が駅に来るそうだ。	Tomodachi ga eki ni kuru sō da.	My friend is said to be coming to the station.
Verb	結婚する (kekkon suru)	結婚するそうだ (kekkon suru sō da)	彼女は来月結婚するそうだ。	Kanojo wa raigetsu kekkon suru sō da.	She is said to be getting married next month.
			田中さんは来年結婚するそうだ。	Tanaka-san wa rainen kekkon suru sō da.	Tanaka-san is said to be getting married next year.
Noun	先生 (sensei)	先生だそうだ (sensei da sō da)	彼の父は先生だそうだ。	Kare no chichi wa sensei da sō da.	His father is said to be a teacher.
			山田さんは数学の先生だそうだ。	Yamada-san wa sūgaku no sensei da sō da.	Yamada-san is said to be a math teacher.
Noun	有名人 (yūmeijin)	有名人だそうだ (yūmeijin da sō da)	彼は有名人だそうだ。	Kare wa yūmeijin da sō da.	He is said to be a celebrity.
			彼女は有名な歌手だそうだ。	Kanojo wa yūmei na kashu da sō da.	She is said to be a famous singer.
Noun	医者 (isha)	医者だそうだ (isha da sō da)	彼の兄は医者だそうだ。	Kare no ani wa isha da sō da.	His older brother is said to be a doctor.
			彼女の父は医者だそうだ。	Kanojo no chichi wa isha da sō da.	Her father is said to be a doctor.
Adjective (i)	高い (takai)	高いそうだ (takai sō da)	このホテルは高いそうだ。	Kono hoteru wa takai sō da.	This hotel is said to be expensive.
			あの車はとても高いそうだ。	Ano kuruma wa totemo takai sō da.	That car is said to be very expensive.
Adjective (i)	寒い (samui)	寒いそうだ (samui sō da)	明日は寒いそうだ。	Ashita wa samui sō da.	It is said to be cold tomorrow.
			北海道の冬は寒いそうだ。	Hokkaidō no fuyu wa samui sō da.	The winter in Hokkaido is said to be cold.
Adjective (na)	便利 (benri)	便利だそうだ (benri da sō da)	このアプリは便利だそうだ。	Kono apuri wa benri da sō da.	This app is said to be convenient.
			東京の電車は便利だそうだ。	Tōkyō no densha wa benri da sō da.	Tokyo’s trains are said to be convenient.
Adjective (na)	有名 (yūmei)	有名だそうだ (yūmei da sō da)	彼の店は有名だそうだ。	Kare no mise wa yūmei da sō da.	His shop is said to be famous.
			彼女の家は有名だそうだ。	Kanojo no ie wa yūmei da sō da.	Her house is said to be famous.

More Example Sentences

彼は明日の会議に参加しないそうだ。
Romaji: Kare wa ashita no kaigi ni sanka shinai sō da.
English: He is said not to participate in tomorrow’s meeting.

彼は新しい仕事を始めるそうだ。
Romaji: Kare wa atarashii shigoto o hajimeru sō da.
English: He is said to be starting a new job.

この映画はとても面白いそうだ。
Romaji: Kono eiga wa totemo omoshiroi sō da.
English: This movie is said to be very interesting.

彼女の弟は医者になるそうだ。
Romaji: Kanojo no otōto wa isha ni naru sō da.
English: Her younger brother is said to become a doctor.

先生は今週忙しいそうだ。
Romaji: Sensei wa konshū isogashii sō da.
English: The teacher is said to be busy this week.

この店のラーメンは美味しいそうだ。
Romaji: Kono mise no rāmen wa oishii sō da.
English: The ramen from this shop is said to be delicious.

あのホテルはサービスが良いそうだ。
Romaji: Ano hoteru wa sābisu ga yoi sō da.
English: That hotel is said to have good service.

彼は来年アメリカに引っ越すそうだ。
Romaji: Kare wa rainen Amerika ni hikkosu sō da.
English: He is said to be moving to America next year.

この会社は給料が高いそうだ。
Romaji: Kono kaisha wa kyūryō ga takai sō da.
English: This company is said to have high salaries.

日本の夏はとても暑いそうだ。
Romaji: Nihon no natsu wa totemo atsui sō da.
English: The summer in Japan is said to be very hot.

Things to Keep in Mind

〜そうだ is only used when you hear information from someone else, not for personal assumptions.

〜そうだ (Hearsay) should not be confused with 〜そうだ (Appearance).

Fill in the Blanks Questions

田中さんは来月日本に＿＿＿＿そうだ。
彼の兄は医者＿＿＿＿そうだ。
この本はとても面白い＿＿＿＿そうだ。
先生は毎日運動を＿＿＿＿そうだ。
このレストランの料理は美味しい＿＿＿＿そうだ。
彼は新しい車を＿＿＿＿そうだ。
明日は天気が悪い＿＿＿＿そうだ。
彼女は来年結婚＿＿＿＿そうだ。
この映画は子供に人気＿＿＿＿そうだ。
友達は今日学校に来ない＿＿＿＿そうだ。

Answers

1.そう (sō)

2.行く (iku)

3.だ (da)

4.そう (sō)

5.する (suru)

6.そう (sō)

7.買う (kau)

8.そう (sō)

9.する (suru)

10.だ (da)

Conclusion

Understanding 〜そうだ (Hearsay) is essential for conveying reported information in Japanese. By practicing its correct usage with verbs, adjectives, and nouns, learners can improve their fluency and comprehension. Keep practicing, and soon this grammar pattern will become second nature!

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