Hearing you're only sixteen with 〜そうだ
Grammar Explanation: Hearsay with 〜そうだ
Hayate is a first-year high school student who works as a bicycle courier, even on Christmas Eve, because both his parents refuse to work. When he gets back to the office, the manager tells him he’s fired. Hayate protests that he does his job properly, and the manager agrees he’s the fastest and best courier they have. So why fire him? The manager says Hayate has been lying about his age.
- 店長:
- 「ウチの募集規定は18歳以上なのに…」
- “We only hire people eighteen and older...”
- 「君はまだ16歳だそうじゃないか。」
- “But I hear you're only sixteen.”
Key Points
- そうだ after a complete plain-form clause reports something the speaker heard. With a noun, だ stays before そう: 16歳だそう.
- じゃないか doesn’t make the report negative. It asks Hayate to confirm what the manager heard: “I hear you’re sixteen. Isn’t that right?”
- The report is about Hayate himself, so the line works as an accusation. Hayate can’t easily deny it.
- ウチ is “our place” or “our company”. The manager is speaking for the business.
- 以上 after a number means that number or more, so 18歳以上 is “eighteen and older”.
- のに is “even though”. After the noun phrase 18歳以上 it takes な: 18歳以上なのに.
- The manager trails off after なのに, and his next line supplies the fact that goes against the rule.
- まだ usually means “still”. With an age, まだ16歳 says Hayate hasn’t reached the age the job requires: “only sixteen”.
Vocabulary
ウチ (My home)
ウチ is a katakana spelling of うち, “my home”, “my family”, or “our side”.
以上 (Above)
以上 means “at least” or “and above” when setting an inclusive lower limit. It can also mean “the preceding”, mark the end of a report, or introduce a conclusion based on what came before.
君 (You)
君 is a word for “you” used toward equals or people younger or of lower standing. It sounds gentle or poetic. Read くん, it is a suffix on names.
まだ (Still)
まだ describes something that is still going on, or with a negative, something that has not happened yet.
そう (So)
そう means “like that” or “that way”. Said alone, it agrees: “right”. After a verb stem or adjective, it means something looks or seems a certain way.
See Also
- Grammar: Hearsay with 〜そうだ
- Grammar: Even though with 〜のに
- Kanji: Limits and basis with 以
- Kanji: Settling and deciding with 定