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Lesson 47 of 50 · 〜そうです(伝聞)・〜ようです · みんなの日本語 第47課 · N4

Reading:

Episode 47: Word Has It

Mini Story

Word Has It.

From the radio, a low voice passed on the rumor — tonight, the deal goes through.收音机里,一个低沉的声音传来消息——今晚,交易会进行。收音機裡,一個低沉的聲音傳來消息——今晚,交易會進行。Từ radio, một giọng trầm truyền lại tin đồn — đêm nay, vụ giao dịch sẽ diễn ra.

情報じょうほうjouhouに よると、今夜こんやkonya取引とりひきtorihikiが あるそうです。

The man they were after was said to be deeply dangerous.他们追的那个男人,非常危险——人们都这么说。他們追的那個男人,非常危險——人們都這麼說。Người đàn ông họ đang truy tìm, nghe nói, cực kỳ nguy hiểm.

その おとこotokoは とても 危険きけんkikenだそうです。

Mike studied the silent warehouse. Lights out, nothing moving — it seemed no one was there.麦克盯着安静的仓库。灯灭着,没有动静——好像没有人。麥克盯著安靜的倉庫。燈滅著,沒有動靜——好像沒有人。Mike quan sát nhà kho im lìm. Đèn tắt, không một chuyển động — dường như không có ai.

倉庫そうこsoukoには だれdareも いないようです。

But by the door, a faint warmth — it seemed someone had been there, only moments ago.但门边,留着一丝微微的余温——好像不久前,还有人在。但門邊,留著一絲微微的餘溫——好像不久前,還有人在。Nhưng cạnh cửa, một chút hơi ấm mờ nhạt — dường như ai đó vừa ở đây, chỉ ít phút trước.

さっきまで だれdareか いたようです。


Key Sentences

1. 普通形ふつうけいfutsuukei + そうです (hearsay — I heard that)

情報じょうほうjouhouに よると、今夜こんやkonya取引とりひきtorihikiが あるそうです。

  • According to the intel, the deal is tonight.
  • 据情报,交易在今晚。 / 據情報,交易在今晚。
  • Theo thông tin, giao dịch là tối nay.

2. だ + そうです (hearsay with な-adj / N)

その おとこotokoは とても 危険きけんkikenだそうです。

  • They say that man is very dangerous.
  • 听说那个男人很危险。 / 聽說那個男人很危險。
  • Nghe nói người đàn ông đó rất nguy hiểm.

3. 普通形ふつうけいfutsuukei + ようです (it seems, from evidence)

倉庫そうこsoukoには だれdareも いないようです。

  • It seems no one is in the warehouse.
  • 仓库里好像没有人。 / 倉庫裡好像沒有人。
  • Có vẻ như không có ai trong kho.

4. V-た + ようです (it appears that V happened)

さっきまで だれdareか いたようです。

  • It appears someone was here until just now.
  • 刚才好像有人在。 / 剛才好像有人在。
  • Có vẻ như vừa nãy có ai đó ở đây.

Practice out loud

Say the answer before you look. The same sentences you just read — now from your own mouth.

Show
HQ

天気予報てんきよほうtenkiyohouに よると、あしたは どうですか。

Mike

あしたは あめamefuるそうです。

HQ

その おとこotokoひとhitoは どうですか。

Mike

その おとこotokoひとhitoは とても 危険きけんkikenだそうです。

HQ

部屋へやheyaには だれか いますか。

Mike

いいえ、だれも いないようです。さっきまで だれか いたようです。

HQ

どこで 火事かじkajiが あったそうですか。

Mike

えきekiちかchikaくで 火事かじkajiが あったそうです。

Now about you
HQ

天気予報てんきよほうtenkiyohouに よると、あしたの 天気てんきtenkiは どうだそうですか。

You

your own answer

HQ

最近さいきんsaikin どんな ニュースを kiきましたか。

You

your own answer

Green — HQ asks you. Blue — Mike answers. Dashed — your turn.


Vocabulary

日本語English简体繁體Tiếng Việt
普通形ふつうけいfutsuukei + そうです
今夜こんやkonya取引とりひきtorihikiが あるそうです。
I hear that ~ (hearsay)
I hear there's a deal tonight.
听说
听说今晚有交易。
聽說
聽說今晚有交易。
nghe nói
Nghe nói đêm nay có giao dịch.
〜によると
情報じょうほうjouhouに よると、てきteki三人さんにんsanninだそうです。
according to ~
According to the information, there are three enemies.
据…,根据
据情报说,敌人有三个。
據…,根據
據情報說,敵人有三個。
theo …
Theo thông tin, kẻ địch có ba người.
普通形ふつうけいfutsuukei + ようです
倉庫そうこsoukoには だれも いないようです。
it seems / appears (from evidence)
It seems no one is in the warehouse.
好像
仓库里好像没有人。
好像
倉庫裡好像沒有人。
có vẻ như
Trong nhà kho dường như không có ai.
取引とりひきtorihiki
取引とりひきtorihikiみなとminatoで あるそうです。
deal, transaction
I hear the deal will take place at the harbor.
交易
听说交易在港口进行。
交易
聽說交易在港口進行。
giao dịch
Nghe nói vụ giao dịch diễn ra ở bến cảng.
倉庫そうこsouko
倉庫そうこsoukoなかnakaくらkuraいようです。
warehouse
It seems dark inside the warehouse.
仓库
仓库里面好像很暗。
倉庫
倉庫裡面好像很暗。
nhà kho
Bên trong nhà kho có vẻ tối.
情報じょうほうjouhou
うわさでは なく、たしかな 情報じょうほうjouhouです。
information, intel
This is not a rumor — it's solid information.
情报
不是传闻,是确切的情报。
情報
不是傳聞,是確切的情報。
thông tin
Không phải tin đồn — là thông tin chắc chắn.
危険きけんkiken
今夜こんやkonyaは とても 危険きけんkikenだそうです。
dangerous; danger
I hear tonight is very dangerous.
危险
听说今晚非常危险。
危險
聽說今晚非常危險。
nguy hiểm
Nghe nói đêm nay rất nguy hiểm.
うわさ
うわさに よると、かれkareは もう いないようです。
rumor
Rumor has it he's already gone.
传闻
据传闻,他好像已经不在了。
傳聞
據傳聞,他好像已經不在了。
tin đồn
Theo lời đồn, hình như anh ta không còn ở đây nữa.

Grammar Patterns

hearsay そう vs conjecture よう.

普通形ふつうけいfutsuukei + そうです (hearsay)

Reports what you heard/read — passed-on information. Attaches to plain form (verbs, い-adj, and for な-adj/N: 危険きけんkikenだそう, 学生がくせいgakuseiだそう). Often paired with 「〜によると」. ⚠ Different from L43 appearance そう, which used the ます-stem.

普通形ふつうけいfutsuukei + ようです (conjecture)

Your own guess based on evidence you can see/sense. な-adj ようです / N ようです (病気びょうきbyoukiのようです). Softer, more personal than だろう.

そうです vs ようです vs らしい

そう(hearsay) = someone told me. よう = I infer it from what I observe. らしい (also N4) = it seems, based on info that feels reliable — between the two.

Grammar Picture

Where does the info come from? 取引がある そうですsomeone told me (hearsay) 誰もいない ようですI infer it from what I see 🔊 → heard 👁 → observed
  • 名詞noun名词danh từ
  • 述語sentence ending句尾句尾phần cuối câu
Two そう, easy to mix up

fuりそう (L43, ます-stem) = it looks about to rain (I see clouds). fuるそう (this lesson, plain form) = I heard it will rain. The stem vs plain form is the whole signal.

ようです also makes comparisons

「まるで ゆめyumeの ようです」 = it's just like a dream. Beyond conjecture, ようだ can mean "like / similar to" — a use you'll meet again later.


Roleplay Practice

report a rumor, then a guess from evidence.

仲間なかまnakama: 今夜こんやkonyaなにnaniか あるんですか。
(Is something happening tonight?)

マイク: 情報じょうほうjouhouに よると、取引とりひきtorihikiが あるそうです。
(According to the intel, there's a deal.)

仲間なかまnakama: 倉庫そうこsoukoひとhitoは?
(Anyone in the warehouse?)

マイク: いまimaだれdareも いないようです。でも、さっきまで だれdareか いたようです。
(No one now, it seems. But it looks like someone was here until just now.)


How do you say this in Japanese?

Q1. "I heard it will rain" =:

  • A. fuるそうです
  • B. fuりそうです
  • C. fuるようです
Show answer

✓ A. fuるそうです (plain form + そう = hearsay).

Q2. 「危険きけんkiken ___ そうです」 (hearsay, な-adj):

  • A. だ
  • B. な
  • C. の
Show answer

✓ A. だ危険きけんkikenだそうです.

Q3. You see an empty room and infer it. Use:

  • A. だれdareもいないようです
  • A. だれdareもいないそうです
  • C. だれdareもいなさそうです
Show answer

✓ A. いないようです (inference from evidence).

Q4. Which one means "someone told me"?

  • A. そうです (plain form)
  • B. ようです
  • C. ところです
Show answer

✓ A. plain + そうです = hearsay.

Q5. Report a rumor with 〜によると…そうです.

Try 「〜によると、〜そうです」.

Show answer

Sample: 天気予報てんきよほうtenkiyohouに よると、明日あしたashitahaれる そうです。


How to Use This Lesson

Read the sections in the order they appear. About 40 minutes.
Tomorrow, come back and say the Key Sentences again — that is where it sticks.

For Teachers

For Teachers (45-60 minutes in class)

  • Source sort (10 min): heard 🔊 → そう; observed 👁 → よう. Sort mixed sentences.
  • そう × そう (10 min): contrast L43 appearance (fuりそう) vs L47 hearsay (fuるそう) head-to-head.
  • News relay (15 min): students read a headline, report with 「〜によると…そうです」.
  • Detective (10 min): show a "crime scene" photo, infer with ようです.
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← Lesson 46 | Midnight Encounter | Lesson 48 →

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