今にも〜そうだ details
die + any second now
ima ni mo shini sou da
any second now; on the verge of — the change is visibly about to happen
meaning: look about to die
ロープがほつれて、今にも切れそうだ。
roopu ga hotsurete, ima ni mo kire sou da.
The rope is fraying — it looks about to snap. neutral
あの子、さっきから今にも泣きそうだったよ。
ano ko, sakki kara ima ni mo nakisou datta yo.
That kid has looked ready to burst into tears for a while now. casual
- past
- polite
Examples
on the verge of — the speaker reads an imminent change straight off what is in front of them
ロープがほつれて、今にも切れそうだ。
roopu ga hotsurete, imanimokiresouda.
The rope is fraying — it looks about to snap. neutral
あの子、さっきから今にも泣きそうだったよ。
ano ko, sakki kara ima ni mo nakisou datta yo.
That kid has looked ready to burst into tears for a while now. casual
棚の箱が今にも落ちそうでしたので、下ろしておきました。
tana no hako ga ima ni mo ochisou deshita node, oroshite okimashita.
The box on the shelf looked like it was about to fall, so I took it down. neutral
老朽化した堤防が、今にも崩れようとしていた。
roukyuuka shita teibou ga, ima ni mo kuzureyou to shite ita.
The ageing embankment was on the point of giving way. neutral
Formation
今にも{V-masu-stem}そうだattaches to ます-stem今にも{V-volitional}としているattaches to volitional
Related patterns
Similar
るところだ places the act next on a timeline the speaker knows about, so it can announce a plan (出るところだ); 今にも〜そうだ reads imminence off appearances alone, which fits falling boxes and threatening skies and can report nobody's intention.
Opposite
- そうもないplain-antonym
The same 様態 そう read in both directions — 今にも降りそうだ says the signs are all there, 降りそうもない that the signs are absent; only the second can describe a sky that has looked the same for hours.
Lookalikes
One も apart, and they read different evidence — 今にも needs a change already showing in front of the speaker, while 今に forecasts an outcome with nothing yet visible, which is why 今に後悔する works and ×今にも後悔する does not.
Combines with
今にも narrows そうだ's "looks like it will" to this very second, and the adverb cannot stand on a bare predicate at all — ×今にも降る needs either そうだ or the ようとしている of the row beside it.
〜ようとしている lets 今にも describe a change already under way rather than merely signalled, so it is the written report's choice — 今にも沈もうとしている narrates the ship going down, 今にも沈みそうだ only says it looks that way.