Japanese with Manga

Not finishing in time with 〜そうにない

Grammar Explanation: Looking like with 〜そうだ

In a classroom set up for culture festival preparations, Asuka raises her hand high and calls out to her classmates scattered around the room.
好きな子がめがねを忘れた » Volume 5 » Page 72

The culture festival is getting close, and the class is in the last stretch of its preparations. It’s almost six in the evening, and Asuka wants to get as much done as possible today. Mie can’t stay, though. Her curfew is six o’clock, and breaking it would mean a scolding and, worse, no cocoa the next morning. Komura figures her parents must be strict.

あすか:
「ねーちょっと終(お)わりそうにないからさ」
“Hey, it doesn't look like we're going to finish, so…”
「19時(じ)くらいまで残(のこ)れる人(ひと)手(て)あげて」
“Raise your hand if you can stay until around seven.”

Key Points

1終(お)わりそうにない as an unlikely outcome
  • そうだ after a verb’s ます-stem predicts what looks likely to happen. 終(お)わりそうだ would mean “it looks like we’ll finish”.
  • そうにない negates the prediction: “it doesn’t look like we’ll finish”. It’s a stronger denial than 終(お)わらなそう, and it hints that things aren’t going the way Asuka hoped.
  • Asuka bases the judgment on what she sees, the work still left and the time, not on anything she heard.
2からさ trailing off
  • から gives the reason for her request: since they won’t finish, she needs volunteers.
  • さ is a casual particle that softens the line and keeps the listener’s attention before she gets to the point.
3残(のこ)れる人(ひと)手(て)あげて
  • 残(のこ)れる is the potential form of 残(のこ)る, “to stay behind”. 残(のこ)れる人(ひと) is “people who can stay”.
  • 手(て)あげて drops the particle を from 手(て)をあげて. The て-form works as a casual request: “raise your hand”.
  • くらい after 19時(じ) gives a rough time, “around seven”.

Vocabulary

(A little)

ちょっと describes a small amount or a short time. It also softens a refusal, or calls someone’s attention, like “hey”.

(To end)

終(お)わる is for something to come to an end. After a verb stem, it means to finish doing it.

(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.

(To remain)

残(のこ)る is for something to be left over after the rest is gone.

(Person)

人(ひと) is a person, or people in general. It also means other people.

(Hand)

手(て) is a hand. It also means a way or means, or help from someone.

(To give)

あげる is to give something to someone else. After a て-form verb, it means doing something for someone. It also means to raise something.

See Also

好きな子がめがねを忘れた © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.