N4-G-065
い-adjective + そうです (I heard that [I-adjective])
Core / Hearsay & Reporting Information
👀 Layer A: Visual Guide
📝 Quick Summary
This grammar pattern connects an い-adjective in its Plain Form directly to そうです to express hearsay (“I heard that…”, “They say it is…”). It allows you to pass along reported information about a quality, price, or condition.
Structure: [い-adjective Plain Form] + そうです
Example 1: れびゅーによると、この おみせは おいしい そうです (According to the review, I heard this shop is delicious).
Example 2: たなかさんによると、あの ほてるは たかい そうです (According to Tanaka-san, I heard that hotel is expensive).
🔍 Layer B: Deepening
💡 Raya’s Hack
The Ultimate Rule: Keep “い” vs. Drop “い”!
The presence or absence of the letter い (i) completely changes the meaning of your sentence:
– Keep “い” + そうです (Hearsay): おいしい そうです (I heard it is delicious).
– Drop “い” + そうです (Conjecture): おいし そうです (It looks delicious right now).
When reporting information you read or heard from others, always keep the final い intact!
🚧 Joy’s Mistake
Scene: Joy is reporting to Ken about a luxury hotel he read about in a magazine.
Joy: 「あの ほてるは たかそう です。」
(Ano hoteru wa takasou desu.)
❌ Dropped “い” when reporting hearsay!
Why?
By dropping i to say takasou desu, Joy said “That hotel looks expensive” based on its visual appearance. To report information read in a travel book (“I heard that hotel is expensive”), he MUST keep the trailing い (takai).
Correct: 「あの ほてるは たかい そうです。」 (I heard that hotel is expensive.)
🔥 Layer C: Retrieval Practice Loop
Retrieve and apply! Express hearsay with い-adjectives. (Hiragana and English only)
Level 1: Structure Building (I-adj Plain + そうです)
Q1. I heard it is delicious (おいしい)
Q2. I heard it is expensive (たかい)
Q3. I heard it is cold (さむい)
Q4. I heard it was difficult (むずかしかった)
Q5. I heard it was good (よかった)
Level 2: Full Sentences
Q6. According to the review, I heard this shop is delicious. (れびゅーによると / おいしい)
Q7. According to Tanaka-san, I heard that hotel is expensive. (たなかさんによると / たかい)
Q8. According to the weather forecast, I heard Hokkaido is cold. (てんきよほうによると / さむい)
Q9. According to my friend, I heard yesterday’s test was difficult. (ともだちによると / むずかしかった)
Q10. According to the teacher, I heard the movie was good. (せんせいによると / よかった)
