I heard that ~, they say that ~

Beginner

15-20 min

very common

Expert Reviewed

Explanation

Reports information heard from others.

[Plain form] + そうだ

明日は雨が降るそうです。

Ashita wa ame ga furu sou desu.

I heard it will rain tomorrow.

田中さんは会社を辞めたそうだ。

Tanaka-san wa kaisha wo yameta sou da.

I heard that Tanaka-san quit the company.

Don't confuse with ～そうだ (appearance) which attaches differently.

～てやまない

earnestly wish/hope, never stop ~ing

～てもいいです

may do ~, it's okay to do ~

～てはいけません

must not do ~, not allowed to do ~

～なければなりません

must do ~, have to do ~

～なくてもいいです

don't have to do ~, don't need to do ~

Use when sharing second-hand information.

JLPTBooks Editorial Team

Japanese Language Education Specialists

Last updated: Jan 2

Study with our comprehensive grammar guides and practice materials.