“〜yō da vs 〜sō da vs 〜rashii”: The Three Conjecture Brothers [JLPT N4]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「雨が降りそう」「誰か来たようだ」「雨らしい」 — appearance, your own read, or hearsay?
「雨が降りそう」「降るようだ」「降るらしい」 — on what basis are you guessing?
Seeing dark clouds you say 「雨が降りそう」; weighing several signs you say 「降るようだ」; hearing the forecast you say 「降るらしい」 — 「ようだ・そうだ・らしい」 all guess “it looks like rain,” differing in what your guess is based on: そうだ (appearance) = from what you see (about to ~), ようだ = from your own overall judgment (I reckon), らしい = from hearsay (I hear). This guide sorts the three by “basis of the guess.”
Core: what's your basis
- そうだ (appearance) = visible signs, about to happen (looks like it will ~): 空が暗い、雨が降りそう (looks like rain).
- ようだ = the speaker's overall judgment (from several clues, I think): 道が濡れている。雨が降ったようだ (the road's wet; looks like it rained).
- らしい = hearsay (from outside info): 天気予報によると、明日は雨らしい (the forecast says rain tomorrow).
(Note: 「そうだ」 has another “hearsay” use — see below.)
Attachment / basis
| Form | Basis | Example |
|---|---|---|
| そうだ (appearance) | visible signs (about to) | 降りそう |
| ようだ／みたい | overall judgment (I think) | 降ったようだ |
| らしい | hearsay (I hear) | 降るらしい |
| そうだ (hearsay) | reported news (dict. ＋ そうだ) | 降るそうだ |
Examples in context
- 空が暗くなってきた。雨が降りそうだ。(The sky's darkening; looks like rain.) — appearance
- このケーキ、おいしそう！(This cake looks delicious!) — appearance
- 電気が消えている。誰もいないようだ。(The lights are off; seems no one's here.) — judgment
- 彼は学生らしい。(I hear he's a student.) — hearsay
- 天気予報によると、台風が来るそうだ。(The forecast says a typhoon's coming.) — hearsay (dict. ＋ そうだ)
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
① 「そうだ」 has two meanings, told apart by attachment. Appearance = ます-stem／adjective-stem ＋ そう (降りそう, おいしそう = looks); hearsay = dictionary／plain form ＋ そうだ (降るそうだ = I hear it'll ~). Different attachment, different meaning.
② Appearance 「そう」 drops adjective い／だ. おいしい→おいしそう (✗ おいしいそう); いい→よさそう (special); ない→なさそう.
③ らしい = hearsay or “typical.” I hear (学生らしい)／has the qualities of (男らしい = manly). Tell by context.
🔄 Compare: そうだ (appearance)／ようだ／らしい／そうだ (hearsay)
| Form | Basis／nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| そうだ (appearance) | visible signs, imminent | 降りそう |
| ようだ | your overall judgment | 降ったようだ |
| らしい | hearsay／typical | 学生らしい |
| そうだ (hearsay) | reported news | 降るそうだ |
💡 An exam judgment tip
For the three, grab “on what basis”: saw it, about to happen → そう (降りそう); my own overall judgment → ようだ (it's wet, looks like it rained); heard it from others → らしい／そうだ (hearsay). The most-tested trap is that 「そうだ」 has two faces: ます-stem = appearance (looks), dictionary form = hearsay (I hear) — 「降りそう (about to rain)」 vs 「降るそうだ (I hear it'll rain)」. Always check the attachment.
❓ Questions you might have
Q: 「降りそうだ」 vs 「降るそうだ」?
Different attachment, different meaning! 「降りそうだ」 (ます-stem ＋ そう) = appearance: it looks about to rain (you see clouds); 「降るそうだ」 (dictionary ＋ そうだ) = hearsay: I hear it'll rain (from the forecast). One is by eye, the other by ear.
Q: ようだ vs らしい?
「ようだ」 leans toward the speaker's own overall judgment (from clues before me: 誰もいないようだ); 「らしい」 leans toward external hearsay (I hear, per the news: 明日は雨らしい). Own inference → ようだ, heard → らしい. Colloquial 「みたい」 ≒ ようだ.
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. 彼女は明日来る_____。(based on hearsay)
(A) そうだ (B) ようだ (C) らしい (D) みたいだ
Q2. このケーキは甘___。(it looks sweet — appearance)
(A) ようだ (B) そうだ (C) らしい (D) みたいだ
Q3. 彼は学生_____。(based on hearsay; attaching to a noun)
(A) そうだ (B) ようだ (C) らしい (D) みたいだ
Q4. 雨が降り_____。(it looks like it'll rain — appearance)
(A) ようだ (B) そうだ (C) らしい (D) みたいだ
Q5. あの映画は面白い_____。(based on hearsay)
(A) そうだ (B) ようだ (C) らしい (D) みたいだ
Answer Key
1. (C) らしい ── inference based on hearsay (来るらしい). そうだ here isn't direct observation; ようだ doesn't suit hearsay.
2. (B) そうだ ── 様態 そうだ = inference from appearance: 甘そうだ (drop the い). (Hearsay そうだ would be 甘いそうだ.)
3. (C) らしい ── hearsay attaching to a noun: 学生らしい. 様態 そうだ can't attach to a noun.
4. (B) そうだ ── appearance/imminence: 降りそうだ = it looks about to rain.
5. (C) らしい ── hearsay: 面白いらしい.