JLPT N5 grammar · The Absolute Basics
そうです: meaning, usage and examples
そうです means: (answer) it is/that's right.
How to form it
そうです / そうじゃありません / そうですか
Examples
はい、そうです。
Yes, I am/that's right.
A: 彼は学生ですか。B: はい、そうです。
A: Is he a student? B: Yes, he is.
A: これは田中さんの本ですか。B: はい、そうです。
A: Is this Mr. Tanaka’s book? B: Yes, it is.
A: 駅はあそこですか。B: いいえ、そうじゃありません。
A: Is the station over there? B: No, it isn’t.
When to use it
そうです confirms what the speaker just said. そうじゃありません politely denies it. そうですか expresses that information is new/interesting.
Nuance
そうですか with falling intonation means 'I see / Is that so?' as a neutral acknowledgment. With rising intonation it's a genuine question.
Compare
ちがいます ('it's different / wrong') is a stronger denial than そうじゃありません.
Tip: そうですね (falling) agrees with the listener. そうですか (falling) acknowledges new info.
More in The Absolute Basics
- ~です: to be/ it is (polite)
- ~じゃありません: to not be / it is not (polite)
- ~ですか: (indicates question: sentence end)
- はい/いいえ: yes/no
- こ/そ/あ/ど (demonstrative prefixes): こ: Something near to the speaker; そ: Something near to the listener; あ: Something far away from both speaker and listener; ど: Something the speaker doesn't see or know about.
- これ/それ/あれ/どれ: This, that, that one over there, which
- この/その/あの/どの [Noun]: this/that/that (over there)/which [Noun]
- ここ/そこ/あそこ/どこ: Here, there, over there, where
Frequently asked questions
What does そうです mean?
(answer) it is/that's right. Example: はい、そうです。 (Yes, I am/that's right.)
How do you form そうです?
そうです / そうじゃありません / そうですか. そうですね (falling) agrees with the listener. そうですか (falling) acknowledges new info.