modality N4 common casualpolitewritten
〜そうに・〜そうな — looking ~
〜そうに・〜そうな ・ そうに
Builds on 〜そうだ
Meaning
- in a ~-looking way (そうに) / ~-looking (そうな) — the adverbial and adnominal forms of appearance 〜そうだ
Key sentence
子供はうれしそうに笑った。
The child smiled happily (looking delighted).
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| i-adjective / na-adjective (adverbial) | adj-stem + そうに + verb | うれし → うれしそうに笑う |
| i-adjective / na-adjective (adnominal) | adj-stem + そうな + noun | おいし → おいしそうなケーキ |
| verb | V-masu-stem + そうに／そうな | 泣き → 泣きそうな顔 |
Variants
そうに / そうな — そうに modifies a verb ('does it in a ~-looking way'); そうな modifies a noun ('a ~-looking thing'). Irregular: いい → よさそう, ない → なさそう.
Examples
彼は忙しそうに歩いていった。
He walked off looking busy.
おいしそうなケーキが並んでいる。
Delicious-looking cakes are lined up.
今にも泣きそうな顔をしていた。
She had a face that looked about to cry.
Easily confused with
〜そうだ (appearance) Same appearance judgment; そうだ ends the sentence (ケーキがおいしそうだ), while そうに・そうな sit inside it modifying a verb or noun (おいしそうなケーキ). 〜みたいに・〜みたいな みたいに = resembles something (子供みたいに泣く = cries like a child); そうに = looks a certain way (悲しそうに泣く = cries looking sad). Resemblance vs apparent quality.
See 〜そうに・〜そうな in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜そうに・〜そうな the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.