It is used when someone looks like he's going to die / to cry / and so on. - そうです = it seems that... 彼は泣きそうです。POLITE, CONCLUSIVE FORM 彼は泣きそうだ。PLAIN FORM He is about to cry. He's almost crying. He's at the point of crying. 彼は死にそうです。POLITE, CONCLUSIVE FORM 彼は死にそうだ 。PLAIN FORM He is about to die. He's almost dying. He's at the point of dying.