N4 Appearance & Hearsay

~そうだ(伝聞でんぶん): meaning, usage and examples

~そうだ(伝聞でんぶん) means: they say that… (hearsay).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 来月らいげつ、新あたらしい店みせが開ひらくそうです。

   I hear that a new store will open next month.

2. 彼女かのじょは来年結婚らいねんけっこんするそうです。

   I heard she's getting married next year.

3. 田中たなかさんのお父とうさんは医者いしゃだそうです。

   I hear that Mr. Tanaka's father is a doctor.

4. あの店みせのラーメンはとてもおいしいそうです。

   I hear the ramen at that shop is very good.

When to use it

Reports something you heard or read: "I hear that...", "they say...". The source is often given with によると: 天気予報てんきよほうによると、明日あしたは雨あめだそうです. The speaker passes the information on without claiming it as their own judgment.

Nuance

Hearsay そうだ attaches to the full plain form, so nouns and な-adjectives keep だ: 医者いしゃだそうです. The ending itself does not change for past or negative: it is always そうです, never そうでした.

Compare

Appearance そうだ attaches to the stem and means "looks like": 雨あめが降ふりそうだ (it looks like rain). Hearsay そうだ follows the plain form: 雨あめが降ふるそうだ (I hear it will rain). らしい also passes on information, but sounds less direct.

Tip: Check the form before そう: dictionary form (降ふる) means hearsay, stem (降ふり) means appearance.