YukaTalking about the weather is a natural conversation starter in Japan — and 〜そうだ is the key grammar to know. Let’s learn it through today’s phrase!
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は雨が降りそうだね | kyou wa ame ga furisou da ne | It looks like it’s going to rain today, doesn’t it? |
| 〜そうだ | sou da | looks like ~ / seems like ~ |
| 降りそう | furisou | looks like it will rain |
Breaking Down the Phrase
- 今日は (kyou wa) — as for today
- 雨が (ame ga) — rain (subject)
- 降りそうだ (furisou da) — looks like it will fall/rain
- ね — seeking agreement: “don’t you think?”
The key grammar: verb stem + そうだ = “it looks like it will ~”
The 〜そうだ Grammar Pattern
〜そうだ expresses visual inference — you can see evidence that something is about to happen:
- 雨が降りそうだ。 — It looks like it’s going to rain. (clouds visible)
- 疲れそうだ。 — He looks tired.
- おいしそう！ — That looks delicious!
- 難しそう。 — That looks difficult.
ReiIs this the same そうだ as “I heard that…”?
YukaNo — different grammar! 〜そうだ after a verb stem = visual inference (“looks like”). 〜そうだ after a plain form = hearsay (“I heard that”). Context and attachment point differ.
Weather Vocabulary
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 雨が降りそう | looks like rain |
| 晴れそう | looks like it will clear up |
| 雪が降りそう | looks like snow |
| 曇りそう | looks like it will get cloudy |
Quick Quiz
You see dark clouds. What do you say to your friend?
Answer: 今日は雨が降りそうだね。 — It looks like it’s going to rain today!
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