そう

See also: ぞう, Appendix:Variations of "so", and Appendix:Variations of "sou"

Japanese

Adverb

そう (rōmaji sō)

  1. 然う: so, like that, in such a way

See also

Adjectival noun

そう (-na inflection, rōmaji sō)

  1. 壮:

Counter

そう (rōmaji -sō)

  1. 双: pairs
  2. 壮:
  3. 層: floors in a building
  4. 艘: small boats

Interjection

そう (rōmaji sō)

  1. 然う: yes, yeah; it's like that; that's how it is; I see. (interjection to show that the speaker is paying attention)

Synonyms

Noun

そう (rōmaji sō)

  1. 双: pair
  2. 壮:
  3. 宗:
  4. 奏:
  5. 相: aspect, phase, dimension
  6. 草: draft, rough copy
  7. 荘, 庄: manor
  8. 曹:
  9. 喪:
  10. 惣:
  11. 葬: burial
  12. 装: clothing; binding of a book
  13. 僧: priest, monk, bonze
  14. 想:
  15. 層: stratum, layer, seam, tier
  16. 箏:
  17. 甑:
  18. 騒:
  19. 左右: left and right
  20. 疎雨, 疏雨:

Prefix

そう (rōmaji sō-)

  1. 総: gross, general

Proper noun

そう (rōmaji Sō)

  1. 壮: A male given name
  2. 宗: A surname​.
  3. 宋: Song

Suffix

そう (rōmaji -sō)

  1. seeming that, seeming like, appearing that
  2. 走: race, run

Usage notes

This productive suffix meaning seeming like can come after a full phrase in plain form, or after a verb or adjective stem, thereby forming a "-na" adjective.

  • After a full phrase in plain form, the resulting phrase implies reported speech, something heard from someone else. For example, the verb 降る (furu, "to fall from the sky") plus this suffix forms 降るそう (furu sō, "I've heard that it will rain" or "someone told me that it will rain"). The adjective 美味しい (oishii, "delicious") plus this suffix forms 美味しいそう (oishii sō, "I've heard that it's delicious").
  • After a verb or adjective stem, the resulting word means it looks like X. For example, the stem 降り of the verb 降る (furu, "to fall from the sky") plus this suffix forms 降りそう (furisō, "it looks like it will rain"). The stem 美味し of the adjective 美味しい (oishii, "delicious") plus this suffix forms 美味しそう (oishisō, "looks delicious"). However, いい＋そう becomes よさそう and ない＋そう becomes なさそう.

The suffix should not be used after stem forms describing visually obvious physical traits like color. Although 赤いそう (akai sō, "I've heard that it's red") would be valid, *赤そう (akasō, "it looks red") would not. Another example of this is that かわいい (可愛い) means someone looks cute so it does not need another そう. (In fact, かわいそう is a different word meaning "pitiful" or "poor".) The suffix should, however, be used when describing another person's mood or mental state. For example, if another person looks glad, one says 嬉しそう (ureshisō, "you look glad"), which is more natural and polite than saying 嬉しい (ureshii, "you are glad").

Verb

そう (rōmaji sou)

  1. 添う, 副う: to accompany; to comply with
  2. 沿う: to follow; to run along
  3. 候: (auxiliary) be, do
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