Examples
Meaning
〜そうだ in the hearsay usage means I heard that or according to what I heard. It reports information the speaker received from someone or some source.
Formation
Attach そうだ to a plain-form clause. Use forms such as 雨が降るそうだ, 忙しいそうだ, 元気だそうだ, and 休みだそうだ. The word before そう keeps its plain form.
Usage
Use this pattern when sharing information from news, a teacher, a friend, a website, or another source. It is useful when you do not want to present the information as your own direct observation.
Nuance
Hearsay 〜そうだ is relatively neutral. It tells the listener that the speaker is passing along information rather than making a visual judgment.
Comparison
Compared with 〜らしい, hearsay 〜そうだ often feels closer to reporting a specific source. 〜らしい can sound more like the speaker inferred something from information or rumors.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is confusing 雨が降りそうです and 雨が降るそうです. The first means it looks like it will rain. The second means someone or some source says it will rain.
Related Grammar
〜そうだ（様態）
〜そうだ in the appearance sense means something looks or seems a certain way based on what you can see now.
〜らしい
〜らしい expresses inference from information or the idea that something is typical of someone or something.
〜ようだ
〜ようだ expresses inference or resemblance. It is often used when something seems true based on evidence or when something is like something else.
〜そうだ（様態）・〜そうだ（伝聞）の違い
This page separates the two meanings of 〜そうだ: appearance and hearsay. The key difference is the form before そうだ.
〜そう・〜よう・〜みたい・〜らしいの違い
This comparison page organizes 〜そう, 〜よう, 〜みたい, and 〜らしい so learners can distinguish appearance, inference, hearsay, and typicality.