very unlikely to~; showing no signs of~ (そうもない) – Japanese Grammar そうもない (sou mo nai)

Q: What JLPT level is そうもない?

JLPT N3 — Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast

Q: How do you use そうもない in a sentence?

Attach そうもない to the appropriate verb or noun form. Very unlikely to~; showing no signs of~

Q: Is そうもない formal or casual Japanese?

そうもない can be used in both casual conversation and polite speech depending on context.

そうもない

N3 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

sou mo nai

very unlikely to~; showing no signs of~

てはいけないから te wa ikenai kara において ni oite わけだ wake da 途中で tochuu de きり kiri せいぜい seizei つまり tsumari として toshite に関する ni kan suru ことは～が koto wa~ga ように見える you ni mieru 直す naosu ごとに goto ni たって tatte んだって ndatte ところで tokoro de ば～のに ba~noni ために tame ni たて tate 別に～ない betsu ni~nai てはいけないから te wa ikenai kara において ni oite わけだ wake da 途中で tochuu de きり kiri せいぜい seizei つまり tsumari として toshite に関する ni kan suru ことは～が koto wa~ga ように見える you ni mieru 直す naosu ごとに goto ni たって tatte んだって ndatte ところで tokoro de ば～のに ba~noni ために tame ni たて tate 別に～ない betsu ni~nai

🃏 Flashcard

そうもない

sou mo nai

Tap to reveal usage

very unlikely to~; showing no signs of~

Tap to test your recall · +10 XP

📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N3

Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast

Reading sou mo nai

Post ID 50923

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

very unlikely to~; showing no signs of~

📖 How to use it

Describes that something seems very unlikely to happen or shows no signs of happening.

Attaches to Attach to the ます-stem of a verb (e.g., 降りそうもない, できそうもない). For adjectives, use the stem of な-adjectives or the い-adjective stem plus そうもない (but い-adjective usage is less common).

This pattern is used to express a strong negative prediction based on appearance or evidence. It's like saying 'it doesn't look like it will...' or 'there's no sign of...'. For example, if the sky is clear but you're worried about rain, you might say 雨が降りそうもない, meaning it looks very unlikely to rain. It can also describe a person's state, like 彼は元気そうもない (he doesn't look well). The pattern is more emphatic than just そうにない, and it often carries a nuance of disappointment or concern about the negative outcome. You'll hear it in both casual and formal speech, but it's especially common in spoken Japanese when commenting on situations. Note that for verbs, the ます-stem is used, not the dictionary form. Also, unlike そうだ (appearance), this pattern is not used with nouns directly.

雨が降りそうもないから、傘を持っていかなくてもいいよ。

Ame ga furisou mo nai kara, kasa o motte ikanakute mo ii yo.

It doesn't look like it's going to rain, so you don't need to take an umbrella.

彼は試験に合格できそうもない。

Kare wa shiken ni goukaku deki sou mo nai.

He seems very unlikely to pass the exam.

この仕事は今日中に終わりそうもない。

Kono shigoto wa kyoujuu ni owari sou mo nai.

This work looks like it won't be finished by the end of the day.

Not そうにない Both mean 'unlikely to', but そうもない is stronger and often implies 'no sign at all', while そうにない is a softer statement of doubt. In many contexts they are interchangeable, but そうもない sounds more definitive.

Register Used in both spoken and written Japanese, but more common in conversation and casual writing; not too formal or stiff.

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

そうもない

📚 How to Master This Pattern

🔊

Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat そうもない three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

🃏

Flip Before Reading

Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.

✍️

Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using そうもない. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

⏰

Spaced Review

Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.

🔗 More JLPT N3 Patterns

something has already been done

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern そうもない mean? ▼

Very unlikely to~; showing no signs of~

What JLPT level is そうもない? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N3 — Intermediate · Expressing nuance & contrast. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use そうもない in a sentence? ▼

Attach そうもない (sou mo nai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is そうもない formal or casual Japanese? ▼

そうもない is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.

How can I remember そうもない long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.