そうでしょ？
sō desho?
To ask am I right? In Japanese, say そうでしょ？ (sō desho?).
Use it after a statement when you want the listener to agree with you.
What does it mean word for word?
でしょ is a shortened, spoken form that asks for confirmation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
そうですよね？ is polite and suits strangers or superiors. だよね？ is very casual, for friends.
How do you pronounce it?
It is read sō desho?
Did you know?
- While そうでしょ？ asks for confirmation, a listener might respond with そうでしょ as a statement. In this case, it does not mean 'am I right?' but rather 'I told you so' or 'exactly'.
- While そうでしょ？ is used to seek agreement, using it with a sharp, falling intonation can actually sound like you are aggressively demanding that the other person agrees with you, rather than asking a question.
- If you use そうでしょ in a business setting with a superior, it can come across as quite pushy or even condescending, as it assumes the listener's opinion is already aligned with yours.
Examples in context
- これは正しいですか。Is this correct?
- もうすぐ春ですね。Spring is coming soon, right?
- 明日、雨が降るんでしょ？そうでしょ？Ashita, ame ga furun desho? Sō desho?It's going to rain tomorrow, right? Am I right?
- この料理、美味しいんでしょ？そうでしょ？Kono ryōri, oishii n desho? Sō desho?This food is delicious, isn't it? Am I right?
- 田中さんは優しいんでしょ？そうでしょ？Tanaka-san wa yasashii n desho? Sō desho?Mr. Tanaka is kind, right? Am I right?
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are discussing a movie they just watched.
- 健太 Kentaあの映画、すごく面白かったんでしょ？そうでしょ？Ano eiga, sugoku omoshirokatta n desho? Sō desho?That movie was really interesting, wasn't it? Am I right?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、本当に面白かったよ。Un, hontō ni omoshirokatta yo.Yeah, it was really interesting.
- 健太 Kenta結衣もそう思ったんだね。Yui mo sō omotta n da ne.You thought so too, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiそうだよ。健太君もそう思うでしょ？Sō da yo. Kenta-kun mo sō omou desho?I do. You think so too, Kenta?
