そうです Part II

One of the most common uses of そうです at the end of a sentence means, 'it look X'. However, そうです also has another meaning and that is, 'I hear...'. As well as the difference in meaning, the two forms of そうです influence their predicates in different ways.

Using そうです

そうです is added to the end of a plain form sentence. The sentence retains its original tense, but must be conjugated to the plain form to be used with そうです. This rule applies to verbs, nouns and adjectives.

For example:

富士山が登りにくいです would become 富士山が登りにくいそうです

	Polite Form	I hear that
Verbs	食べます	食べるそうです
I-Adjectives	高いです	高いそうです
Na-Adjectives	綺麗です	綺麗だそうです
Nouns	先生です	先生だそうです

そうです can be used further to relay information that you have read (heard) in a book, or that you have heard on the news, radio etc. If sourcing from a media source, you can preface a sentence with Sourceによると, e.g:

• 西日本新聞によると富士山が登りにくいそうです。
  According to the Nishinippon Newspaper, Climbing Mt. Fuji is hard.

Example Sentences

• 聞いた話によると、彼は東京に引っ越したそうです。
  According to the story I heard, he moved to Tokyo.

• お母さんが言っていたんだけど、映画館に行ったことがないそうだよ。
  My mother said she has never been to a cinema.

• このような事件は稀だそうです。
  I heard this kind of incident rarely happens.

• 天気予報を見ましたが、明日は雨だそうです。
  I checked weather forecast and there will be rain tomorrow.