immersionlog

〜そうにない・〜そうもない

doesn't look like it will

Verb ます-stem + そうにない / そうもない

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The negative of the N4 そうだ ("looks like it will") is そうにない or そうもない: この雨はやみそうにない, "this rain doesn't look like it'll stop".

It attaches to the ます-stem, just like the positive: 終わりそうもない, 来そうにない. The polite forms are そうにありません and そうもありません.

そうもない is a little more emphatic: "not the slightest sign that…".

The form そうじゃない means something different: "not like that", or "doesn't look (adjective)", as in 難しそうじゃない. For verbs predicting what will happen, use そうにない.

It often comes with potential verbs: 解決できそうにない, "it doesn't look like it can be solved".

Examples

  • この雨あめはやみそうにない。

    This rain doesn't look like it'll stop.

  • 今日中きょうじゅうに終おわりそうもない。

    It doesn't look like I'll finish today.

  • 彼かれは来きそうにないね。

    It doesn't look like he's coming.

  • この問題もんだいは簡単かんたんに解決かいけつできそうにない。

    This problem doesn't look like it can be solved easily.

  • 今年ことしは休やすみが取とれそうもありません。

    It doesn't look like I'll be able to take any time off this year.

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