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どうも details

write + somehow

doumo kaku you da

somehow; I can't say why — an impression the speaker has without evidence they could name

meaning: seem to write for some reason

この時計とけい、どうも遅れるおくれるようだ。

kono tokei, doumo okureru you da.

This clock seems to run slow for some reason. neutral

熱ねつはないが、どうも風邪かぜをひいたようだ。

netsu wa nai ga, doumo kaze o hiita you da.

I have no fever, but somehow it seems I've caught a cold. neutral

  • dictionary form
  • past
  • negative
  • negative + past
  • dictionary form
  • past
  • negative
  • negative + past
  • dictionary form
  • past
  • negative
  • negative + past
  • noun
  • noun
  • ない-form
  • na-adjective
  • i-adjective

Examples

somehow; it seems — an impression the speaker cannot trace to any one piece of evidence

この時計とけい、どうも遅おくれるようだ。

kono tokei, doumookureruyouda.

This clock seems to run slow for some reason. neutral

熱ねつはないが、どうも風邪かぜをひいたようだ。

netsu wa nai ga, doumo kaze o hiita you da.

I have no fever, but somehow it seems I've caught a cold. neutral

あの二人ふたり、どうも付つき合あってるらしいよ。

ano futari, doumo tsukiatteru rashii yo.

Those two seem to be going out, from what I can tell. casual

この数字すうじ、どうもおかしい。

kono suuji, doumo okashii.

There's something not right about these figures. neutral

機械きかいの音おとが、どうも変へんだ。

kikai no oto ga, doumo hen da.

There's something odd about the sound the machine is making. neutral

先方せんぽうは、どうも別べつの案あんを考かんがえているみたいです。

senpou wa, doumo betsu no an o kangaete iru mitai desu.

The other side seem to have a different plan in mind. neutral

just … not — with a negative, something keeps failing and the speaker cannot say what is wrong

何度なんど説明せつめいしても、どうも伝つたわらない。

nando setsumei shite mo, doumo tsutawaranai.

However often I explain, it somehow doesn't get through. neutral

昨日きのうから、どうも調子ちょうしが出でないんだよね。

kinou kara, doumo choushi ga denai n da yo ne.

I just haven't been on form since yesterday. casual

Formation

Notes

Standing alone, or in front of ありがとう and すみません, どうも is a
politeness formula rather than this adverb — どうも、先日せんじつは。 thanks
and apologises at once without saying which.

Related patterns

Similar

  • かもしれない

    かもしれない opens one possibility among several the speaker declines to rule out; どうも says the speaker is already leaning one way and cannot explain why — 風邪かぜかもしれない keeps the options open, どうも風邪かぜらしい has all but decided.

Combines with

  • らしい

    らしい normally points at an outside source you could ask about; with どうも in front, the source stops being nameable and the sentence reports a hunch the speaker has built up instead.

  • ようだ

    ようだ alone presents the inference as reasoned from evidence at hand; どうも concedes the speaker cannot lay that evidence out, which is why どうもようだ softens a diagnosis rather than backing it.