「みたいだ」- Expressing Subjective Assumption or Simile

Explanation

「みたいだ」 is used to express "seems like..." or "appears to..." in terms of subjective assumption or simile.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verb plain form/い-adjective plain form/な-adjective stem/Noun + みたいだ	Verb plain form/い-adjective plain form/な-adjective stem/Noun + みたいだ	Used to express the speaker's subjective assumption or feeling, suitable for casual conversations.

Basic Usage

「〜みたいだ」 is used to express the speaker's subjective assumption or feeling, making it suitable for casual conversations. Its basic usage includes:

• Verb plain form + みたいだ

  • 彼かれは仕事しごとを辞やめたみたいだ。
  • Kare wa shigoto o yameta mitai da.
  • It seems like he quit his job.
    

• い-adjective plain form + みたいだ

  • 彼かれの話はなしは本当ほんとうみたいだ。
  • Kare no hanashi wa hontou mitai da.
  • What he said seems to be true.
    

• な-adjective stem + みたいだ

  • 彼かれは元気げんきみたいだ。
  • Kare wa genki mitai da.
  • He seems to be in good spirits.
    

• Noun + みたいだ

  • 彼かれは先生せんせいみたいだ。
  • Kare wa sensei mitai da.
  • He seems to be a teacher.
    

Examples

• 誰だれか教室きょうしつに遅おくれているみたいだ。
• Dare ka kyoushitsu ni okureteiru mitai da.
• It seems like someone is late to the classroom.
  

• 道みちが濡ぬれてるし、雨あめが降ふったみたいだ。
• Michi ga nureteru shi, ame ga futta mitai da.
• The road is wet, so it seems like it rained.
  

• あそこあそこのお店みせはいつも行列ぎょうれつができていて、どうやら人気にんきがあるみたいだ。
• Asoko no mise wa itsumo gyouretsu ga dekiteite, douyara ninki ga aru mitai da.
• That shop always has a line, so it seems to be popular.
  

Deep Dive

「みたいだ」 not only expresses subjective assumptions but can also be used for similes. For example:

• 彼かれは猿さるみたいに木きに登のぼる。
• Kare wa saru mitai ni ki ni noboru.
• He climbs trees like a monkey.
  

Comparison and Differences

「〜みたいだ」 and 「〜ようだ」 can sometimes be interchangeable, but 「みたいだ」 is more casual, while 「ようだ」 is more formal.

Expression	Example	Tone
みたいだ	彼かれは先生せんせいみたいだ。	Casual
ようだ	彼かれは先生せんせいようだ。	Formal

Real-Life Scenarios

In everyday conversations, 「〜みたいだ」 is frequently used:

• A：最近さいきん忙いそがしいみたいだね。

  A: Saikin isogashii mitai da ne.

  A: It seems like you've been busy lately.

• B：そうだね、仕事しごとがたくさんあるんだ。

  B: Sou da ne, shigoto ga takusan aru nda.

  B: Yeah, I have a lot of work.
  

• A：このケーキケーキ、美味おいしいみたいだね。

  A: Kono keeki, oishii mitai da ne.

  A: This cake seems delicious.

• B：うん、皆みんながそう言いってる。

  B: Un, minna ga sou itteru.

  B: Yeah, everyone says so.
  

Summary

「みたいだ」 is a versatile expression suitable for conveying subjective assumptions and similes. Understanding its usage and how it differs from similar expressions will help you use it more accurately to convey thoughts and feelings.