• Next article: 2.2.2. How does the causative passive form of the verb work?

2.2.1. What are the uses of the sou ending?

Usage 1: Conjecture, appearance

• the i ending of the verb (see 2.2.3. What is the `i' verb ending?), for example owaru (to finish) becoming owarisou
• the stem of an -i adjective, for example oishii (delicious, tasty) becoming oishisou. (See 2.4.2. What is an i adjective?)
• a na adjective, such as kantan (easy) becoming kantansou

For example

1. ame ga furisou desu
   `it looks like it is going to rain'
2. ano tabemono wa oishisou da
   `that food looks delicious'
3. kono shigoto wa kantan sou da
   `this work looks easy'.

When it is negative, it becomes either nasou or nasasou. The above examples would become

1. ame ga furanasou desu or furanasasou desu
   "It does not look as if it is going to rain"
2. ano tabemono wa oishikunasasou da
   "That food doesn't look tasty."
3. kono shigoto wa kantan ja (de wa) nasasou da
   "This work doesn't look easy."

A negative form is also formed by transforming the da which comes after sou into its negative ja nai, or de mo nai or even mo nai. This form is emphatic. For example you might use this form when contradicting what someone else said. In this form the above examples become

1. ame ga furisou mo nai
   "It doesn't look at all like it's going to rain"
2. ano tabemono wa oishisou de mo nai
   "That food doesn't look good at all".

Usage 2: Reporting what you have heard

• the dictionary form of the verb, for example furu becoming furu sou,
• the -i adjective, for example oishii becoming oishii sou (note the extra i)
• after a na adjective plus da, for example kantan becoming kantan da sou.

For example

1. ame wa furu sou desu
   `I heard that it is going to rain.'
2. ano tabemono wa oishii sou da
   `Someone told me that that food is delicious.'
3. kono shigoto wa kantan da sou da
   `He says that this work is easy.'

Other points

• kawaisou (pitiful) is not a conjectural sou ending of kawaii (cute). Kawaii sou, however, means "(I) heard that (she/he/it) is cute/lovable". Japanese native speakers can easily distinguish between the two spoken forms, if pronounced correctly.
• There are two irregular conjectural sou forms:
  1. yosasou is the irregular form of yoi or ii. (If it were regular it would be yosou.)
  2. nasasou is the irregular form of nai (the negative of aru). It would be nasou if it were regular. As we saw above, this negative form is sometimes also used with a negative verb ending, such as furanasasou. See for instance Martin's grammar book (p. 992-993 of the Tuttle edition) for more details.

• Next article: 2.2.2. How does the causative passive form of the verb work?

Copyright © 1994-2010 Ben Bullock

If you have questions, corrections, or comments, please contact Ben Bullock or use the discussion forum / Privacy

Book reviews	Convert Japanese numbers	Handwritten kanji recognition	Stroke order diagrams	Convert Japanese units	Popup dictionary