Difference between そうです、 ようです and らしいです.


Here are the example sentences.

デイビットは料理が上手そうです。

デイビットは料理が上手なようです。

デイビットは料理が上手らしいです。

Firstly, what does デイビット mean as based on reading alone its sounds like
'debit' to me which is a strange name to have.

Secondly, all three of these grammar points have a similar meaning of 'looks'
or 'seems' but obviously have nuanced differences and different uses. As far
as I do know, そうです is used more for a first impression 'looks' or 'seems' than
the other two but I could be wrong.




デイビット is actually David.

  * そうです indicates a similarity based on direct (probably visual) evidence i.e., David _appears/behaves like_ a good chef based on what you see. In this usage, そう is attached to the i-form of verbs and stem of adjectives.

  * (だ)そうです is a report on what you've heard before. In this usage, そう is attached to the dictionary form of verbs, directly to i-adjectives, and with a だ behind na-adjectives.

  * ようです like the first そう, indicates an appearance you are directly observing, but more certain - a higher likelihood - than そうです. That is, David _looks_ like he is good at cooking based on how you're seeing him cook. よう is attached to nouns and na-adjectives with a の in between.

  * らしいです indicates its something inferred from indirect evidence. In other words, David seems to be good at cooking ( _based on what you're heard_ ).

Note that ようです can also be a somewhat non-committal observation. And らしいです (or
more accurately, just らしい) can be used to describe an attribute, similar to
using -like in English. e.g, 名探偵らしい -> detective-like, like a good detective,
in a good-detectively sort of way. I hope that makes sense :p




デイビット is actually David.

  * そうです indicates a similarity based on direct (probably visual) evidence i.e., David _appears/behaves like_ a good chef based on what you see. In this usage, そう is attached to the i-form of verbs and stem of adjectives.

  * (だ)そうです is a report on what you've heard before. In this usage, そう is attached to the dictionary form of verbs, directly to i-adjectives, and with a だ behind na-adjectives.

  * ようです like the first そう, indicates an appearance you are directly observing, but more certain - a higher likelihood - than そうです. That is, David _looks_ like he is good at cooking based on how you're seeing him cook. よう is attached to nouns and na-adjectives with a の in between.

  * らしいです indicates its something inferred from indirect evidence. In other words, David seems to be good at cooking ( _based on what you're heard_ ).

Note that ようです can also be a somewhat non-committal observation. And らしいです (or
more accurately, just らしい) can be used to describe an attribute, similar to
using -like in English. e.g, 名探偵らしい -> detective-like, like a good detective,
in a good-detectively sort of way. I hope that makes sense :p

