Meaning
Used when the speaker passes along information they heard and does not present it as a personal fact.
Formation
- Plain form + そうです: 降るそうです, 雨だそうです
- The source is introduced with によると
When to use it
- Core use
- I hear that, from someone else
Example
天気予報によると明日は雨だそうです
According to the forecast, it will rain tomorrow.
Important notes
- Pay attention to the word form before the construction and to the particles around it.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate the pattern word for word; first identify its function in the whole situation.