そう

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See also: ぞう, Appendix:Variations of "so", and Appendix:Variations of "sou"

Japanese

Etymology 1

/sau/ → /sɔː/ → /soː/

Adverb

そう • (sō) ←さう (sau)?

  1. 然う: so, like that, in such a way
See also
Japanese demonstratives
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)
こういう (kō iu) そういう (sō iu) ああいう (ā iu) どういう (dō iu)
Place ここ (koko) そこ (soko) あそこ (asoko)* どこ (doko)
こっから (kokkara) そっから (sokkara) — どっから (dokkara)
Direction / Human こちら (kochira) そちら (sochira) あちら (achira) どちら (dochira)
こなた (konata) そなた (sonata) あなた (anata) どなた (donata)
Direction 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)
Degree これくらい (kore kurai) それくらい (sore kurai) あれくらい (are kurai) どれくらい (dore kurai)
これだけ (kore dake) それだけ (sore dake) あれだけ (are dake) どれだけ (dore dake)
これほど (kore hodo) それほど (sore hodo) あれほど (are hodo) どれほど (dore hodo)
* irregular
** regular (long vowel)
The kanji 此(こ) (ko), 其(そ) (so), 彼(あ) (a), and 何(ど) (do) can be used for determiners, but they are almost always spelled in hiragana.

Interjection

そう • (sō) ←さう (sau)?

  1. 然う: yes, yeah; it's like that; that's how it is; I see. (interjection to show that the speaker is paying attention)
Synonyms

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

  • 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]

Suffix

そう • (-sō) 

  1. (jodōshi) seeming that, seeming like, appearing that
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.

Adjective

そう • (sō) -na (adnominal そうな (sō na na), adverbial そうに (sō ni ni))

  1. 壮: vibrant, manly, brave

Counter

そう • (-sō) 

  1. 双: pairs
  2. 壮:
  3. 層: floors in a building
  4. 艘: small boats

Noun

そう • (sō) 

  1. 双: pair
  2. 壮: vibrancy, powerfulness; the prime of life
  3. 宗:
  4. 奏: a statement made to the emperor; a document or writing of such a statement; a musical performance
  5. 相: aspect, phase, dimension
  6. 草: draft, rough copy
  7. 荘, 庄: manor
  8. 曹:
  9. 喪:
  10. 惣:
  11. 葬: burial
  12. 装: clothing; binding of a book
  13. 僧: priest, monk, bonze
  14. 想: idea, thought
  15. 層: stratum, layer, seam, tier
  16. 争: conflict, quarrel
  17. 箏:
  18. 甑:
  19. 騒: noise
  20. 左右: left and right
  21. 疎雨, 疏雨: sparse rain

Prefix

そう • (sō-) 

  1. 総: gross, general

Proper noun

そう • (Sō) 

  1. 壮: a male given name
  2. 宗: a surname
  3. 宋: Song

Suffix

そう • (-sō) 

  1. 走: race, run

Verb

そう • (sō) 

  1. 添う, 副う: to accompany; to comply with
  2. 沿う: to follow; to run along
  3. 候: (auxiliary) be, do

References

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ Online Japanese Accent Dictionary (OJAD)
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