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Lesson 2

JLPT-N3: Lesson 2

overview:

In this lesson, we'll be looking specifically at the usage of みたいだ、らしい & っぽい.

Lesson overview
みたいだ
みたいだ (Five Senses)
みたいに/な (As an example)
らしい (Typical)
らしい (Assumption)
Noun/Adj/Verb + っぽい

みたいだ

breakdown

We've learned one particular usage of みたい in Intermediate 2 Lesson 5. We learned that it could be used to describe a resemblance of something or something to something else.

Today, we explore on how it could be used to describe:
(as if; seems; look like; appears like)

structure
Noun (Dic)+ みたいだ。
examples
1. He talks like a woman.
1. 彼の話し方は、女みたいだ。
話し　・ はなし　・　Speech; Talk
2. This is a busy city isn't it? It's just like Tokyo.
2. この市は賑やかですね。東京みたいだ。
賑やか　・ にぎやか　・　Lively
市　・ し　・　City
3. A: Today's rain and wind is strong isn't it?
3. B; Yea, it's like a Typhoon.
3. A: 今日は雨も風もすごく強いね。
3. B: うん、まるで台風みたいだね。
まるで　・　As if
4. Her singing is good like a singer.
4. 彼女は歌手みたいに歌が上手だ。
歌手　・　かしゅ　・　Singer
5. The two persons are so similar. It's as if they're brothers.
5. あの二人はとても似ている。まるで兄弟みたいだ。
6. Yamada is always crying like a child.
6. 山田君は子供みたいに泣く。
6. This green juice is sweet and easy to drink like a juice.
6. この青汁は、ジュースみたいに甘くて飲みやすいね。
青汁　・　あおじる　・　Green juice
Things to note:
  • みたい can be used to give an example of something similar in sentences that contains content like state of something, shape, taste, smell, state of movement or degree of state.
  • まるで can be literally translated into as if. It is very commonly used together with みたいだ.
  • みたい can be very similar to ようだ. みたい is used more commonly in casual conversation.

みたいだ (Five Senses)

breakdown

Another usage of みたい is to use it to express:
(A guess using five senses)

This actually has the same usage as ようだ. It can be used interchangebly.

It can be expressed in these ways as well:
~ ようだ
~ の感じがする
~ たぶん ~ よ思う

structure
Noun (Dic)+ みたいだ。
Adj (Dic)+ みたいだ。
Noun (Dic)+ みたいだ。
examples
Using sense of taste
1. This cake seems to be spoiled.
1. このケーキは腐っているみたいだ。
腐る　・ くさる　・　To rot; to go bad
Using sense of smell

2. It looks like my mum is making bread.
2. 母さんがパンを焼いているみたいだ。
焼く　・　やく　・　To bake
Using sense of hearing

3. It seems like my sister is crying.
3. 妹が泣いているみたいだ。
Using sense of hearing and sight

4. That ramen store seems to be very popular.
4. あのラメン屋は人気があるみたいだ。
Things to note:
  • みたい in these usages are more for casual speech.

みたいに・な

breakdown

Another usage of みたい is to use it to express:
something like; somebody like; like; for example


It can be expressed in these ways as well:
~ ように ような
~ など

structure
Noun (Dic) + みたいに
Noun (Dic) + みたいな + Noun
examples
1. I'm not good at sour things like lemon and pickled plums.
1. レモンや梅干しみたいな酸っぱいものが苦手なの。
梅干し　・ うめぼし　・　Pickled plum
酸っぱい　・ すっぱい　・　Sour
苦手　・ にがて　・　Not very good at
2. I want to be as cute as her.
2. 彼女みたいに可愛くなりたいな。
3. You will get fat if you eat sweet things like cake and cookies.
3. ケーキやクッキーみたいな甘いものばかり食べていると太るよ。

らしい (Typical)

breakdown

らしい can be used to describe
the way something/someone is supposed to be

structure
Noun (Dic)+ らしい
Noun (Dic)+ らしくない
examples
1. A: What is your aspiration this year?
1. B: To save $100,000!
1. A: That is typical of you.
1. A:　今年の抱負は？
1. B: １０万ドル貯金する！
1. A: Bさんらしい抱負だね。。
抱負　・ ほうふ　・　Aspiration; Ambition
貯金　・ ちょきん　・　Savings
2. Today is warm, it's a typical spring day.
2. 今日は暖かくて、春らしい天気だね。
3. A: I failed again, I wonder if I should give up..
3. B: Give up? This is unlike you.
3. A: また不合格だった、もう諦めようかな。。。
3. B: 諦めるなんて、（名前）君らしくないよ。。
諦める　・ あきらめる　・　To quit
不合格　・ ふごうかく　・　Failure; Rejection

らしい (Assumption)

breakdown

We have already learned this in Advanced Level 3 previously.

The usage of らしい is to express a guess. "I guess that...", "I guess that...", "It seems that..."
らしい behaves/has the same conjugation pattern like an i-adj.
‍
Meaning wise, it is similar to そうです but らしい includes the speaker's conjecture or judgement about the information.
‍
You can use らしい when the statement is based on something that you've seen or experienced.

It also has the same meaning as the following:
〜たぶん〜と思う
〜だそうだから、と思う

structure
Verb (plain form) + らしいです
i-adj (plain form) + らしいです
na-adj (plain form) + らしいです
noun + らしいです
examples
You saw a queue outside a bread shop.
1. It seems that the bread over there is delicious.
1. あそこのパンは美味しいらしいです。
Because it's quiet.
2. The child has probably fallen asleep already.
2. 子供はもう寝たらしいです。
You heard a lot of complaints.
3. I think this product is not good.
3. この製品は上手ではないらしいです。
製品　・ せいひん
Things to note:
  1. らしい behaves/has the same conjugation pattern like an i-adj.
  2. Because らしい is used with some objectivity, it might sometimes give the impression that the speaker is avoiding responsibility for the statement.
  3. Casual/plain form for らしいです is らしい.

〜っぽい

breakdown

っぽい can be used to describe:
seems like; somewhat; ~ish; easily does; often does

structure
Noun (Dic) + っぽい
Verb (Masu without masu) + っぽい
examples
1. A boyish girl.
1. 男っぽい女の子。
2. A girlish boy.
2. 女っぽい男の子。
3. A girlish boy.
3. 女っぽい男の子。
4. A forgetful person.
4. 忘れっぽい人。
This can mean someone who's always angry or gets angry easily.
5. An angry person.
5. 怒りっぽい人。よく怒りっぽい人。怒りやすい人。
怒りぽい　・ おこりっぽい　・　Hot-tempered
6. An bored person.
6. 飽きっぽい人。
7. An oily food.
7. 油っぽい料理。
Things to note:
  1. If you're not talking about a person's character, みたい can be used as well.
  2. This is often used in a negative sense.
  3. This can only be used with a few selected words. Simple words such as forgetful or angry are often used.
  4. When we're using with seasons or colours, then the negative connotation won't be applied.