Definify.com
Definition 2024
そう
そう
Japanese
Adverb
そう (romaji sō)
- 然う: so, like that, in such a way
See also
| ko- “this” (close to speaker) |
so- “that” (close to listener) |
a- “that over there” (far from both) |
do- “which” (indeterminate, question) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Object | これ (kore) | それ (sore) | あれ (are) | どれ (dore) |
| これら (korera) | それら (sorera) | あれら (arera) | — | |
| Determiner | この (kono) | その (sono) | あの (ano) | どの (dono) |
| これらの (korera no) | それらの (sorera no) | あれらの (arera no) | — | |
| Kind | こんな (konna) | そんな (sonna) | あんな (anna) | どんな (donna) |
| Place | ここ (koko) | そこ (soko) | あそこ (asoko)* | どこ (doko) |
| Direction | こちら (kochira) | そちら (sochira) | あちら (achira) | どちら (dochira) |
| こっち (kotchi) | そっち (sotchi) | あっち (atchi) | どっち (dotchi) | |
| Human | こいつ (koitsu) | そいつ (soitsu) | あいつ (aitsu) | どいつ (doitsu) |
| Manner | こう (kō) | そう (sō) | ああ (ā)** | どう (dō) |
| * irregular ** regular (long vowel) | ||||
Adjectival noun
そう (-na inflection, romaji sō)
- 壮:
Counter
そう (romaji -sō)
Interjection
そう (romaji sō)
- 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 (romaji sō)
- 双: pair
- 壮:
- 宗:
- 奏:
- 相: aspect, phase, dimension
- 草: draft, rough copy
- 荘, 庄: manor
- 曹:
- 喪:
- 惣:
- 葬: burial
- 装: clothing; binding of a book
- 僧: priest, monk, bonze
- 想:
- 層: stratum, layer, seam, tier
- 箏:
- 甑:
- 騒:
- 左右: left and right
- 疎雨, 疏雨:
Prefix
そう (romaji sō-)
Proper noun
そう (romaji Sō)
Suffix
そう (romaji -sō)
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").
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. It 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 (romaji sou)