そう
Japanese
Etymology 1
/sau/ → /sɔː/ → /soː/
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) | ||||
Interjection
そう (rōmaji sō, historical hiragana さう)
Etymology 2
/sau/ → /sɔː/ → /soː/
Probably either a shift from 様 (sama), or directly from 相 (sō). Appears from the Muromachi period.[1][2]
Possibly influenced by, or developed by analogy to, the adverbial and interjectional sō (然う).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [so̞ː]
- In Tokyo accent, the accent of the verb construction depends on the suffixed verb:[3]
| Suffixed verb is accented | Suffixed verb is non-accented | |
|---|---|---|
| Continuative stem + そう (sō) (evidential) | Result has the accent on the そ (so) mora Example: つくりそーだ [tsùkúrísóꜜòdà] |
Result is non-accented Example: あそびそーだ [àsóbísóódá] |
| Finite form + そう (sō) (hearsay) | Result keeps the original accent Example: つくるそーだ [tsùkúꜜrùsòòdà] |
Result is accented on the そ (so) mora Example: あそぶそーだ [àsóbúsóꜜòdà] |
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"). However, いい＋そう becomes よさそう and ない＋そう becomes なさそう.
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. Another example of this is that かわいい (可愛い) means someone looks cute so it does not need another そう. (かわいそう does exist, but means "pitiful" or "poor".) The suffix 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").
Etymology 3
Various.
Noun
そう (rōmaji sō)
- 双: pair
- 壮: vibrancy, powerfulness; the prime of life
- 宗:
- 奏: a statement made to the emperor; a document or writing of such a statement; a musical performance
- 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: idea, thought
- 層: stratum, layer, seam, tier
- 箏:
- 甑:
- 騒: noise
- 左右: left and right
- 疎雨, 疏雨: sparse rain
Verb
そう (rōmaji sou)
References
- 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- Online Japanese Accent Dictionary (OJAD)