looks like; seems (from appearance)

This そう reports how something looks right now. Attach it to a verb's masu-stem (降りそう, looks about to rain) or an adjective stem (おいしそう, looks tasty). いい becomes よさそう and ない becomes なさそう. It is a guess from visible signs, not from hearsay.

Examples

• 今いまにも雨あめが降ふりそうです。

  Ima ni mo ame ga furisou desu.

  It looks like it could rain any moment.

• このケーキ、おいしそうですね。

  Kono keeki, oishisou desu ne.

  This cake looks delicious, doesn't it?

Vocabulary in these examples

• 今 now
• 雨 rain
• 降る to fall (rain, snow)
• この this (+ noun)
• ケーキ cake

Related patterns · Guessing and hearsay

• 〜そうだ（伝聞） I hear that; they say that
• 〜ようだ it seems; it appears (based on evidence)
• 〜らしい seems; apparently (from what one heard)
• 〜かもしれない might; maybe
• 〜にちがいない must be; I'm sure that