Meaning
This grammar pattern conveys information obtained from others, news, books, or other sources—essentially reporting what you've heard. It's often used with phrases like 'の話では' (according to...) to indicate the source. The plain form そうだ is used in casual speech, but note that you cannot use そうでした when reporting past hearsay; instead, use the appropriate past form before そうです.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 动词辞书形 | そうです |
| 动词（た形） | そうです |
| い形容词 | そうです |
| な形容词＋だ | そうです |
| 名词＋だ | そうです |
Examples
-
天気予報を聞いたんですが、明日は雪が降らないそうです。
I heard the weather forecast, and it seems tomorrow won't snow. -
ラジさんのお父さんは大学の先生だそうです。
It is said that Raj's father is a university professor. -
佐藤くんの話では、来週の試験は難しいそうです。
According to Satou, next week's exam will be difficult.
Summary
- Use plain form (dictionary form, た-form, or adjective form) + そうです to report hearsay
- Often paired with information sources like 'の話では' or 'によると' for clarity
- Different from the appearance/tendency そうです (which uses ます-stem); pay attention to the form before そうです