〜そうにない sou ni nai
〜そうにない（sou ni nai）means “unlikely to (do); shows no sign of”. Attached to the masu-stem (or the masu-stem of the potential form), it states that something shows no sign of happening — the speaker judges it very unlikely. Formation: V-ます(去ます)+ そうにない（可能形の場合も同様に V-(ら)れ + そうにない）
unlikely to (do); shows no sign of
N2Formation
V-ます(去ます)+ そうにない（可能形の場合も同様に V-(ら)れ + そうにない）
Explanation
Attached to the masu-stem (or the masu-stem of the potential form), it states that something shows no sign of happening — the speaker judges it very unlikely. Stronger and more negative than the plain potential 'cannot'. 〜そうもない is a common variant.
Examples
Note
Built on the masu-stem (this rain won't stop), distinct from the 'appearance' そう negated as なさそう ('doesn't look ...'), which attaches to adjectives/states.
FAQ
〜そうにない — what does it mean and how is it used?
unlikely to (do); shows no sign of. Attached to the masu-stem (or the masu-stem of the potential form), it states that something shows no sign of happening — the speaker judges it very unlikely. Stronger and more negative than the plain potential 'cannot'. 〜そうもない is a common variant.
〜そうにない — how do you form it?
V-ます(去ます)+ そうにない（可能形の場合も同様に V-(ら)れ + そうにない）
〜そうにない — any usage notes?
Built on the masu-stem (this rain won't stop), distinct from the 'appearance' そう negated as なさそう ('doesn't look ...'), which attaches to adjectives/states.