Video
Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel
Introduction
Have you ever wanted to say “It looks like…” or “It seems that…” in Japanese?
The expression you need is:
👉 (short [plain] form) + みたいです
This pattern is super common in daily conversation and lets you describe things based on what you see or guess. Let’s learn how to use it!
1. Structure and Meaning
Pattern: (short [plain] form of verb/adjective/noun) + みたいです
= It looks like ~ / It seems that ~ / Apparently ~
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Verb | 雨が降ったみたいです。 = It looks like it rained. |
| い-adjective | 楽しいみたいです。 = It seems it is fun. |
| な-adjective | 元気みたいです。 = He seems well. |
| Noun | 火事みたいです。 = It looks like there’s a fire. |
Unlike 〜そうです (hearsay), みたいです is based on your own observation or guess.
2. How to Form It
- Use the short form (= plain form) of a verb, adjective, or noun (whether past or present)
- Then add みたいです
affirmative
| Short Form | + みたいです |
|---|---|
| 来る | 来るみたいです |
| 雨 | 雨みたいです |
| おもしろい | おもしろいみたいです |
| 元気 | 元気みたいです |
negative
| Base | Negative Short Form | + みたいです |
|---|---|---|
| 来る | 来ない | 来ないみたいです |
| 来た | 来なかった | 来なかったみたいです |
| 雨 | 雨じゃない | 雨じゃないみたいです |
| おもしろい | おもしろくない | おもしろくないみたいです |
| 元気な | 元気じゃない | 元気じゃないみたいです |
3. Example Sentences
- たけしさんは寝坊したみたいです。
→ It looks like Takeshi overslept. - そのパンダはぬいぐるみみたいです。
→ That panda looks like a stuffed animal. - メアリーさんは元気じゃないみたいです。
→ It seems that Mary isn’t feeling well. - あの人は俳優みたいです。
→ That person looks like an actor. - リサさんは何度も日本に来ているみたいです。
→ It seems Lisa has come to Japan many times.
4. Practice Time!
Let’s try building some “It looks like…” sentences using 〜みたいです.
| Situation | Sentence |
|---|---|
| It rained in the morning. | 午前中に雨が降ったみたいです。 |
| She’s praying in the room. | 部屋でお祈りしているみたいです。 |
| My mother doesn’t wear makeup. | 母は化粧していないみたいです。 |
| That’s a famous writer’s work. | 有名な作家の作品みたいです。 |
| It’s not Japanese writing. | 日本語の文字じゃないみたいです。 |
5. Similar Expression: ～ようです
We have a similar expression ～ようです. This has the same meaning to みたいです but is slightly more formal.
Example: 彼はお腹が空いているようです。(= It looks like he is hungry.)
This sentence means “It looks like he is hungry,” using the formal expression ～ようです to describe appearance or inference.
6. みたいです vs そうです
〜そうです (hearsay) is about information you received, while 〜みたいです is about conclusions you drew from your own senses.
| Expression | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜そうです | Hearsay (you heard it) | 雨が降るそうです。 (I heard it will rain.) |
| 〜みたいです | Guess based on observation | 雨が降ったみたいです。 (It looks like it rained.) |
Use ～みたいです when you’re judging something by what you see or sense.
7. Common Mistakes
- ❌ 〜ようです used too casually
→ ようです is more formal. For casual, use 〜みたい。 - ❌ Mixing up with 〜そうです (hearsay)
→ If you’re making your own guess, use 〜みたいです.
→ If you’re reporting what you heard, use 〜そうです. - ❌ Forgetting the short form
→ × 雨が降りましたみたいです
→ ○ 雨が降ったみたいです
8. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QWhat’s the main difference between ～みたいです and ～そうです?
- A
～みたいです: Used when you are making an inference or guess based on your own observation or senses (what you see, hear, or feel). It’s your conclusion.
～そうです (plain form + そうです): Used when you are reporting secondhand information that you have heard or read from someone else (hearsay/rumor). It’s someone else’s information.
- QCan ～みたい be used as an adjective to describe a noun (e.g., “a cat-like person”)?
- A
Yes! みたい can function like a na-adjective when modifying a noun. You use みたいな (mitai na) before the noun. This is for expressing resemblance or comparison.
- 猫みたいな人 (Neko mitai na hito) – “A cat-like person.”
- 夢みたいな話 (Yume mitai na hanashi) – “A dream-like story.”
- QHow formal is ～みたいです? Is it okay in all situations?
- A
～みたいです is generally considered neutral to polite and is very common in everyday conversation.
- QWhat’s the difference between ～みたいです and ～ようです?
- A
Both
～みたいですand～ようですexpress inference or conjecture based on observation.～みたいです: More conversational, colloquial, and often used when the inference is based on a direct, somewhat informal observation or impression. It can also imply resemblance (“looks like a toy”).～ようです: Slightly more formal, often used in written Japanese or more objective spoken contexts. It implies a conclusion drawn from solid evidence or a deeper understanding. It can also be used to give a subtle explanation or reason.
- QCan ～みたいです be used for something that looks like it happened in the past, or will happen in the future?
- A
Yes,
～みたいですcan be used with all plain tenses (present, past, affirmative, negative) to express observations or inferences about different time frames.- Future (inference):
明日、晴れるみたいです。(Ashita, hareru mitai desu.) – “It looks like it will be sunny tomorrow.” (based on signs/forecast) - Past:
雨が降ったみたいです。(Ame ga futta mitai desu.) – “It looks like it rained.” - Present (ongoing):
雨が降っているみたいです。(Ame ga futte iru mitai desu.) – “It looks like it’s raining (now).”
- Future (inference):
Conclusion
Now you can:
✅ Use 〜みたいです to describe your observations and guesses
✅ Understand the difference between みたい and そうです
✅ Talk like a native when describing what things seem like!
🎯 Challenge: Look around you now — what do things “look like”? Try writing 3 sentences using 〜みたいです！
Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?
Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.
Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.
