「〜そうにない/〜そうもない」- Unlikely to Happen
Explanation
Grammar:
Meaning: This structure is used to express a judgment based on the surrounding situation or appearance, meaning "it seems unlikely that..." or "it doesn't look like...".
Grammar Pattern
| Grammar Point | Connection | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Indicates that something is very unlikely to happen, based on appearance or the situation. |
Basic Usage
「〜そうにない」 and 「〜そうもない」 are used to express that something is very unlikely to happen. They are often connected to the ます form of verbs and are used to describe situations where something seems improbable based on appearance or context.
Examples
彼 は来 そうにない。- Kare wa ki-sou ni nai.
- It doesn't look like he will come.
この 仕事 は終 わりそうもない。- Kono shigoto wa owarisou mo nai.
- It doesn't look like this work will be finished.
Deep Dive
「〜そうにない」 and 「〜そうもない」 have the same grammatical structure and can be used interchangeably without any significant difference. Both express that an action or state is unlikely to happen.
Example Analysis
明日 のデート のこと ばかり 考 えてしまって、今日 は興奮 して寝 れそうにない。- Ashita no deeto no koto bakari kangaete shimatte, kyou wa koufun shite nerare-sou ni nai.
- I’m so excited about tomorrow’s date that I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.
連絡 がたくさん 来 ているが、忙 しくて返信 できそうにない。- Renraku ga takusan kite iru ga, isogashikute henshin deki-sou ni nai.
- There are so many messages, but I’m too busy to reply.
筋肉痛 で今日 は歩 けそうにない。- Kinnikutsuu de kyou wa aruke-sou ni nai.
- I’m so sore that I don’t think I can walk today.
彼女 とは価値観 も性格 も合 わないから仲良 くなれそうにない。- Kanojo to wa kachikan mo seikaku mo awanai kara nakayoku nare-sou ni nai.
- Since we don’t share the same values or personality, it’s unlikely we’ll get along.
天気予報 では降 ると言 っていたが、この様子 だと全 く降 りそうにない。- Tenki yohou de wa furu to itte ita ga, kono yousu da to mattaku furi-sou ni nai.
- The weather forecast said it would rain, but it doesn’t look like it will at all.
ダイエット 中 だけど、目 の前 にあるケーキ の誘惑 に勝 てそうもない。- Daietto-chuu dakedo, me no mae ni aru keeki no yuuwaku ni kate-sou mo nai.
- I’m on a diet, but I don’t think I can resist the temptation of the cake in front of me.
Real-Life Scenarios
In conversations, 「〜そうにない/〜そうもない」 is commonly used to express that something is unlikely to happen. This is frequently used in everyday communication.
Example Dialogue:
- A:
今日 の会議 に田中 さんは来 ますか？ - Kyou no kaigi ni Tanaka-san wa kimasu ka?
- Will Mr. Tanaka come to today’s meeting?
- B: いや、この
様子 だと来 そうにないですね。 - Iya, kono yousu da to ki-sou ni nai desu ne.
- No, it doesn’t look like he will come.
Summary
「〜そうにない/〜そうもない」 is used to express that something is very unlikely to happen. By connecting to the ます form of verbs, this structure effectively conveys a judgment based on appearance or situation. In both conversation and writing, this expression is quite common and helps to clearly communicate the unlikelihood of an event.