72505
In a book someone hears a woman voice and says:

> 心配そうな、お母さんの声

As far as I know, `そう(な)` is to say something seems **based on visual
information** , and my grammars agree with this: things like `おいしそうなケーキ`. If
linked to something you heard, `そう` is used to report what you said/heard,
like `明日だそうだった`, "I heard it's tomorrow".

Given the context, it seems to me that `そう` is the first meaning, since the
character isn't reporting something she heard.

Is that `そう` the first meaning? If so, is that use wrong/unusual?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-14T14:46:03.937
72504
2019-10-14T15:05:18.847
35362
question
grammar
そう "seem" used for hearing
When you use そう, your judgement can be based on any of your five senses:

  * [after seeing a dish] おいしそう。
  * [after hearing about a dish over a phone] おいしそう。
  * [after lifting a box up] 中に何か入ってそう。
  * [after smelling a dish] 腐ってそう。
  * [after tasting a dish] ワサビが入ってそう。

そう for hearsay has nothing to do with this because it must follow a dictionary
form of a verb/adjective. "I heard [he] is worried" is 心配 **だ** そうだ.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-14T15:05:18.847
72505
2019-10-14T15:05:18.847
5010
72504
answer