〜そうにない / 〜そうもない
N3sou ni nai / sou mo nai
unlikely to; doesn't look like it will
Formation
Verb-stem + そうにない / そうもない
Chinese meanings
看来不会;不太可能
Chinese formation
动词ます形去ます+そうにない/そうもない
Chinese usage
根据眼前情况判断某事似乎不会发生。
Chinese notes
形容词的否定外观常用なさそうだ。
Examples
- この雨は、夕方までやみそうにない。This rain doesn't look like it will stop before evening.这场雨看起来到傍晚也不会停。
- 仕事が多すぎて、今日中には終わりそうもない。I have way too much work; it doesn't look like I'll finish today.工作太多,今天之内看来做不完。
- こんなにたくさんの料理、二人では食べきれそうにないね。It doesn't look like the two of us will be able to finish all this food.这么多菜,两个人看来吃不完啊。
Notes
Negative of the appearance 〜そうだ with verbs, based on what the speaker observes. More emphatic: 〜そうにもない. With adjectives use 〜なさそうだ instead.
#conjecture#negation#possibility
Related N3 grammar
Use this entry in code
import { getGrammarById } from 'kotowa';
getGrammarById('sou-ni-nai-sou-mo-nai');
{
"id": "sou-ni-nai-sou-mo-nai",
"pattern": "〜そうにない / 〜そうもない",
"romaji": "sou ni nai / sou mo nai",
"level": "N3",
"meaning": "unlikely to; doesn't look like it will",
"formation": "Verb-stem + そうにない / そうもない",
"examples": [
{
"ja": "この雨は、夕方までやみそうにない。",
"furigana": "この{雨|あめ}は、{夕方|ゆうがた}までやみそうにない。",
"en": "This rain doesn't look like it will stop before evening."
},
{
"ja": "仕事が多すぎて、今日中には終わりそうもない。",
"furigana": "{仕事|しごと}が{多|おお}すぎて、{今日中|きょうじゅう}には{終|お}わりそうもない。",
"en": "I have way too much work; it doesn't look like I'll finish today."
},
{
"ja": "こんなにたくさんの料理、二人では食べきれそうにないね。",
"furigana": "こんなにたくさんの{料理|りょうり}、{二人|ふたり}では{食|た}べきれそうにないね。",
"en": "It doesn't look like the two of us will be able to finish all this food."
}
],
"tags": [
"conjecture",
"negation",
"possibility"
],
"notes": "Negative of the appearance 〜そうだ with verbs, based on what the speaker observes. More emphatic: 〜そうにもない. With adjectives use 〜なさそうだ instead.",
"zh": {
"status": "reviewed",
"source_hash": "41e78d3b62fdc90ed8ce36ac6760cb6b260b51752ebdcb6d92197f9f7d929d2c",
"meanings": [
"看来不会",
"不太可能"
],
"formation": "动词ます形去ます+そうにない/そうもない",
"explanation": "根据眼前情况判断某事似乎不会发生。",
"notes": "形容词的否定外观常用なさそうだ。",
"examples": [
{
"ja": "この雨は、夕方までやみそうにない。",
"zh": "这场雨看起来到傍晚也不会停。"
},
{
"ja": "仕事が多すぎて、今日中には終わりそうもない。",
"zh": "工作太多,今天之内看来做不完。"
},
{
"ja": "こんなにたくさんの料理、二人では食べきれそうにないね。",
"zh": "这么多菜,两个人看来吃不完啊。"
}
],
"references": [
"sources/grammar/n3.json#sou-ni-nai-sou-mo-nai",
"Original Chinese authored and reviewed by Codex; no independent human review"
],
"reviewer": "Codex",
"review_method": "ai",
"reviewed_at": "2026-10-28",
"review_hash": "68b4cb486c9ebefb7156a923ee85578d567a2fa7e3fd17f06d58d37f11e1c315"
}
}