「〜らしい」- Speculation and Hearsay

Explanation

In Japanese, the grammar point 「〜らしい」 is used to express speculation or information heard from others. It can be attached to the plain form of verbs, the plain form of い-adjectives, the stem of な-adjectives, and nouns to convey the meaning of "seems like" or "appears to be."

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
〜らしい	Plain form of verbs, plain form of い-adjectives, stem of な-adjectives, nouns + らしい	Expresses speculation or hearsay, meaning "seems like" or "appears to be."

Basic Usage

Connection

The connection rules for 「〜らしい」 are as follows:

Form	Connection
Verb	Plain form of verb + らしい
い-Adjective	Plain form of い-adjective + らしい
な-Adjective	Stem of な-adjective + らしい
Noun	Noun + らしい

Meaning

「〜らしい」 has the following main meanings:

1. Hearsay/Speculation: Indicates information heard from others or speculation based on certain circumstances.
2. Typicality: Indicates that something or someone possesses typical characteristics or qualities.

Examples

• 彼かれは来週らいしゅう旅行りょこうに行いくらしい。
• Kare wa raishuu ryokou ni iku rashii.
• It seems like he is going on a trip next week.
  

• 天気予報てんきよほうによると、明日あしたは雨あめが降ふるらしい。
• Tenki yohou ni yoru to, ashita wa ame ga furu rashii.
• According to the weather forecast, it seems like it will rain tomorrow.
  

• 彼かれは男おとこらしい男おとこです。
• Kare wa otoko rashii otoko desu.
• He is a manly man.

Deep Dive

1. Hearsay/Speculation

When 「〜らしい」 is used to express hearsay or speculation, it often indicates that the speaker is not entirely certain about the information but is making an assumption based on what they have heard or observed.

2. Typicality

When 「〜らしい」 is used to express typicality, it is usually attached to a noun to indicate that something or someone possesses the typical characteristics associated with that noun.

Comparison and Differences

「〜らしい」 vs. 「〜そうだ」

• 「〜らしい」: Indicates information based on hearsay or speculation, often with a sense of uncertainty.
• 「〜そうだ」: Indicates information heard from others, usually with a higher degree of confidence in its accuracy.

Example	Type	English Translation
彼かれは来週らいしゅう旅行りょこうに行いくらしい。	Hearsay/Speculation	It seems like he is going on a trip next week.
彼かれは来週らいしゅう旅行りょこうに行いくそうだ。	Hearsay	I heard that he is going on a trip next week.

Real-Life Scenarios

Hearsay/Speculation

• 彼女かのじょは結婚けっこんするらしい。
• Kanojo wa kekkon suru rashii.
• It seems like she is getting married.
  

• この家うちには誰だれもいないらしい，いつ行いっても静しずかだ。
• Kono ie ni wa dare mo inai rashii, itsu itte mo shizuka da.
• It seems like no one lives in this house; it's always quiet whenever I go there.

Summary

「〜らしい」 is a commonly used grammar point in Japanese, primarily used to express hearsay or speculation, as well as to describe typical characteristics of something or someone. Understanding its usage and how it differs from similar grammar points will help you express ideas more accurately. By mastering 「〜らしい」, you can use Japanese more naturally in everyday conversations.