"It seems like" "It looks like" It is about to" |
V-plain + ようです "It seems like (judgment based on senses) |
"It seems like" "It looks like it's not" |
"そうだった / でした “I almost did something” |
V ます + そう |
い-adj い + ようです |
Verb ない + なさそう |
-When そう is used in the past tense, the meaning changes to “I almost did something” in the past. |
な/い Adj
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な-adj な |
For negation, it completely changes. It is the negative form of そう and they refer to something that looks or doesn't look in a certain way, which we intuitively feel after seeing or hearing about it. |
-But this is only used when talking about yourself; not the other person. |
DONT's: Making an assumption by looking at something |
Noun の |
い -Adj + くなさそう
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-If this is used with another person, the meaning remains the same as “It looked like he/she…” |
-Cannot be used to compliment someone's appearance |
-Conveying or expressing judgment. |
な-Adj + じゃなさそう
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Can be used to describe other people's feelings. |
-When we have information that we perceived using our sensory organs. Basically, based from we see, smell, hear, touch, feel. |
V-ない + なさそう |
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メガネをかけている人はあたまがよさそうです。 People who wear glasses look / seem smart. |
人が【集まる】あつまっていますね。【事故】じこのようです。 Look, there is a crowd. It looks like an accident. A patrol car and an ambulance are there. |
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死にそうだった。 I almost died. |
コーヒーはなくなりそうです。 We are about to run out of coffee. |
Nuance: The speaker is giving his judgment based on what he see. |
ひろきはがっこうにこなさそうです。 It seems like Hiroki won’t come to school. |
食べちゃいそうだった。 I almost ate it. |
シャツのボタンが【取れる】とれそうです。 THe button of your shirt is about to come off. |
電気が消えていますね。もう誰もいないようです。 Lights are off. Seems like no one is here anymore. |
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気をつけて、木が【倒れる】たおれそうです。 Be careful. The tree is going to fall down. |
あのレストランはいつも【混む】こんでいます。料理は美味しいようです。 That restaurant is always so crowded. It seems like the food there is delicious. |
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【中東】ちゅうとうせんそうでガスリンの【値段】ねだんが上がりそうです。 Looks like the price of gas will increase because of the in the Middle East. |
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DIFFERENCE: |
Verb stem そうです。 |
先生はどこに行ってもいそいで歩いています。 忙しそうです。 Teacher is rushing around wherever he goes. He seems to be busy. |
Nuance: Based on that quick look, you already assumed that the teacher is busy, based on that behaviour only. |
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Plain Form ようです |
先生は【会議中】かいぎちゅうです。そしてテーブルの上にたくさんの 【書類】しょろいがおいてあります。忙しいようです。Teacher is in a meeting. And his desk is piled with many documents. It seems that he is busy. |
Nuance: There are a lot of proofs as to why the teacher is busy. This sounds more sure. |
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