19708
Below are the 2 forms of similarity expressed for (V) ~nai and (N). Do I
summarize these forms correctly?

Self-deduction:

```

    (negative verb)  ふらなさそうだ
    (noun)           かのじょ王女みたい
    
```

hearsay:

```

    (negative verb)  ふらないそうだ
    (noun)           かのじょ王女だそうだ
    
```
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2014-11-29T04:50:02.530
19705
2014-11-29T14:03:29.820
2014-11-29T14:03:29.820
7334
question
grammar
Expressing similarity
Hearsay seems correct, but for self deduction with ～ない and い adjectives you
have to remove the trailing い and add さそうだ

```

    ふらなさそうだ
    
```

Here is a chart showing the comparison between the two (taken from Dictionary
of Basic Japanese Grammar)

![Comparison of -souda forms](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PlzLr.png)

While it doesn't directly include it in the chart, the negative forms are
implicitly included under the い-adjectives. That goes for both ～ない and ～じゃない.
The exception to this is いい, which has to be conjugated from the よい form
instead - よさそう.

As can be seen from the chart, you were correct to assume you can't use ～そうだ
after nouns. However, i believe 王女みたい conveys the feeling that even though
they look like a 王女 you already know they not. You might use ～だろう or ～でしょう to
say something is probably something else.

```

    かのじょ王女でしょう (She is probably a princess)
    
```

Or could use the ～よう form.

```

    かのじょ王女のようだ (She appears to be a princess)
    
```

References:

  1. Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
  2. [Guide to Japanese - Similarity of Hearsay](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/similarity)
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-29T10:56:16.447
19708
2014-11-29T10:56:16.447
3896
19705
answer