Although using そう with the standard form of the verb rather than the stem looks similar, the meaning is actually very different. Used with the standard (plain) form of the verb, you are reporting something that you have heard from a pretty reliable source. Consequently, it is often used with ～によると which translates as “according to ～”.
| According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow. |
| He’s apparently very wealthy. |
Critical Connection Rule: Unlike the visual そう (which drops だ/な from nouns and na-adjectives), hearsay そう requires the だ. (e.g., 元気だそうだ / 学生だそうだ).
らしい is similar to the hearsay そう directly above, but here your comment is usually based on rumor, second-hand information, or something you have inferred.
| Apparently he’s going to move to Shinjuku. |
Context: You heard it from a friend but you can’t be certain.
| I heard that she can play the piano. |
Context: You haven’t heard her yourself but someone else told you.
Critical Connection Rule: Unlike そうだ, らしい attaches directly to nouns and na-adjectives without the だ. (e.g., 元気らしい / 学生らしい).
If the difference between だそうだ and らしい seems a little vague, that’s because it is. In truth, the former isn’t really used that often and sounds a little stiff in conversation. You would likely hear it used on the news but less often in everyday discussions. らしい, on the other hand, is very common.
らしい can also be used as an adjective suffix to express that someone or something is exhibiting the ideal or typical traits of what they are (e.g., behaving like a true gentleman).
| Like a (typical) politician. |
| Not a lady-like way of walking. |
JLPT Trap (らしい vs. みたい): To use らしい in this way, the subject must actually be that thing. If a woman is walking gracefully, it is 女性らしい. However, if a man is walking gracefully like a woman, you cannot use らしい because he is not a woman. You must use 女性みたい (looks/acts like a woman).