そうもない / そうにないsou mo nai“unlikely to; shows no sign of”

そうもない / そうにない means unlikely to; shows no sign of. It is a JLPT N3 grammar pattern used to say something does not look likely to happen.

This grammar point often appears in neutral Japanese. If you want to say something does not look likely to happen, そうもない / そうにない is a useful pattern to learn.

What does そうもない / そうにない mean?

Use そうもない / そうにない when you want to say something does not look likely to happen.

Natural translations include:

• unlikely to; shows no sign of
• unlikely to
• unlikely to / shows no sign of

How to form そうもない / そうにない

Verb ます-stem + そうもない / そうにない

Examples of the pattern:

• 終わりそうにない
• 雨がやみそうもない
• 間に合いそうにない

When is そうもない / そうにない used?

Use そうもない / そうにない in situations like:

• judging likelihood from signs
• negative predictions
• tasks that show no sign of ending

Tone and register:

• neutral
• Common in JLPT reading, grammar questions, and natural Japanese sentences

そうもない / そうにない example sentences

• この仕事は今日中に終わりそうにない。 — This work does not look likely to finish today.
• 雨はしばらくやみそうもない。 — The rain does not look likely to stop for a while.
• 彼は来そうにない。 — He does not seem likely to come.
• 電車に間に合いそうもない。 — It does not look like I will make the train.
• この問題は簡単には解決しそうにない。 — This problem does not seem likely to be solved easily.

After reading each sentence, ask what job そうもない / そうにない is doing: saying something does not look likely to happen.

Nuance of そうもない / そうにない

The key nuance is negative visual or situational likelihood.

This matters because そうもない / そうにない does more than translate one English phrase. It shows how the speaker connects ideas, evaluates a situation, or frames the sentence for the listener.

For example:

• In context, it sounds natural when the surrounding sentence supports the nuance.
• Compared with そうだ, it has a different focus and level of formality.

そうもない / そうにない vs そうだ

Both そうもない / そうにない and そうだ can appear in related situations, but they are different.

そうもない / そうにない:

• means unlikely to; shows no sign of
• fits the specific N3 pattern and nuance explained above

そうだ:

• そうだ can mean “looks like”; そうにない specifically negates the likelihood of happening

Quick contrast examples:

• Target: この仕事は今日中に終わりそうにない。 — This work does not look likely to finish today.
• Compare: Try replacing it with そうだ and check whether the nuance still matches.

Common mistakes with そうもない / そうにない

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Using dictionary form before そうにない
• Confusing appearance そう with hearsay そうだ
• Using it for facts you already know for certain

A helpful practice method is to write one sentence with そうもない / そうにない, then rewrite it with そうだ.

Is そうもない / そうにない on the JLPT?

Yes. そうもない / そうにない is commonly taught as JLPT N3 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for そうもない / そうにない

• Say work is unlikely to finish today.
• Say rain shows no sign of stopping.
• Say someone seems unlikely to come.

Learning path for そうもない / そうにない

To learn そうもない / そうにない efficiently, review plain negation first, then practice stronger “no way / cannot” meanings with clear evidence.

1. First, make sure you can form そうもない / そうにない without looking at the pattern chart.
2. Next, compare it with そうだ, わけがない.
3. Finally, write sentences where the context proves something is impossible or unlikely; then check whether replacing そうもない / そうにない with ようがない changes the meaning.

Related grammar to review next

• そうだ — looks like; seems about to.
• わけがない — there is no way.
• ようがない — there is no way to.
• 切れない（きれない） — cannot finish doing; too much to complete.

Learn そうもない / そうにない with Hane

If you want to review そうもない / そうにない together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you connect grammar, kanji, and vocabulary in short, focused sessions.

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