みたい
みたい
suffix / na-adjective
like, similar to, -ish
1.
like, similar to, resembling
Attaches to nouns, verbs (plain form), and adjectives to express resemblance or likeness. More casual than よう.
子供みたいだ。
It's like a child. / How childish.
夢みたいな話だね。
That's a dream-like story, isn't it.
あの二人は兄弟みたいに仲がいい。
Those two get along like siblings.
2.
it seems, it looks like, apparently
Expresses conjecture or inference based on what the speaker observes or perceives. Similar to ようだ but more colloquial.
雨が降るみたいだ。
It looks like it's going to rain.
彼はもう帰ったみたい。
It seems he's already gone home.
電車が遅れているみたいで、駅が混んでいた。
The trains seemed to be delayed, so the station was crowded.
GRAMMAR:
みたい attaches directly to nouns, plain-form verbs, and adjectives:
- Noun + みたい: 猫みたい (like a cat)
- Verb + みたい: 泣いているみたい (looks like crying)
- い-adjective + みたい: 楽しいみたい (seems fun)
- な-adjective + みたい: 静かみたい (seems quiet)
As a modifier, みたい takes な before nouns and に before verbs:
- 映画みたいな話 (a story like a movie)
- 嘘みたいに安い (unbelievably cheap)
COMPARISON WITH よう:
みたい is the colloquial equivalent of ようだ. よう is preferred in formal writing. In casual conversation, みたい is far more natural.
Related Words
Related:
よう (formal equivalent)