みたいな

みたいな
expression
like; such as; something like
informalcolloquialexpression
1. like; such as
Used to give examples or make comparisons, similar to 'like' in casual English.
I like people like him.
「無理(むり)」みたいなことを言(い)われた。
They said something like "impossible."
夏(なつ)みたいな天気(てんき)だね。
The weather is like summer, isn't it?
A scene like something out of a movie spread out before me, and I couldn't help taking a photo.
They came running over happily with a childlike smile.
2. or something like that
Used at the end of sentences to soften or hedge a statement.
カフェでお茶(ちゃ)する、みたいな。
Like, having tea at a café, or something.
Sentence-final hedging
明日(あした)、みたいな。
Like, tomorrow, or something.
Vague hedging about timing
It's like, I'm a bit tired, or something like that.
He was saying something like he'd start trying hard from next week.
It's troublesome when someone acts with an attitude like "I don't really care."

みたいな is the colloquial attributive form of みたいだ, used to make comparisons or soften statements. Very common in everyday spoken Japanese.

USAGE (sense 1, comparison):
Noun + みたいな + noun: "like ~"

USAGE (sense 2, hedging):
Statement + みたいな: "...or something like that"

Softens statements and avoids sounding too definitive. Similar to English filler "like."

Similar words

  • ような / ように: the neutral equivalents, used in writing and careful speech
  • 〜のような: more polished comparison

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Overuse of みたいな as a filler is sometimes criticized as sloppy speech, similar to overusing "like" in English.