そう思う
sō omou
In Japanese, "I guess so" can be expressed as そう思う (sō omou).
The phrase is used to express a tentative agreement or to indicate that you believe something is likely to be true.
Which one should you use?
While そう思う expresses a personal thought or a guess (meaning "I think so"), the phrase そうですね is used instead to express agreement with a fact or a shared observation (meaning "That's right" or "That's true").
How do you pronounce it?
sō omou
Did you know?
- When expressing 'I guess so' in a formal business environment, 思う is replaced by 存じます to create そう存じます. This is a humble form of the verb that explicitly signals the speaker's lower social status relative to the listener.
- To make the phrase そう思う sound less assertive, speakers often add the particle かな to the end. This transforms the statement into a soft question directed at oneself rather than a direct answer to the listener.
- Adding the word まあ before そう思う acts as a conversational cushion. This signals a half-hearted or reluctant agreement, similar to saying 'well, I suppose so' in English.
Examples in context
- 「これで十分でしょ？」「ああ、そう思う」"This is enough, isn't it?" "Yeah, I guess so."This sentence shows how to use そう思う to respond to a question about whether something is sufficient.Tatoeba #11724565 by small_snow, translation #3449460 by CK
- この映画は面白いかな。I guess this movie is interesting.
- うん、面白そうだから行くかな。Yeah, I guess it sounds interesting, so I'll go.
- 彼もそう思うだろう。Kare mo sou omou darou.I guess he thinks so too.
Example conversation
Youta and Misaki are discussing whether a restaurant is crowded.
- 陽太 Yota今日、あのお店は混んでいるかな？Kyou, ano omise wa konde iru kana?I wonder if that shop is crowded today?
- 美咲 Misaki週末だから、きっと混んでいると思う。Shuumatsu dakara, kitto konde iru to omou.It's the weekend, so I guess it will be crowded.
- 陽太 Yota予約しておいたほうがいいかな？Yoyaku shite oita hou ga ii kana?Do you think we should make a reservation?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、そう思う。Un, sou omou.Yeah, I guess so.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
