Have you ever wanted to say “looks like” or “seems like” in Japanese?
For example: “Her smile is like the sun” or “It seems like he’s feeling down because work isn’t going well.”

This expression is also super useful when you forget or don’t know the exact word.
For example: “Um… It’s like an apple: red outside and yellow inside, but smaller and softer. What was it?”

Actually, even when I speak English, if I can’t remember the right word quickly, I always end up saying, “Something is like…” (I use it all the time!).

In Japanese, we often use 〜みたい for this.
In this article, we’ll explore how to use みたい in different ways: みたいです, みたいな, and みたいに.

1. みたい vs ようだ

• みたい → casual, spoken, everyday use
• ようだ → formal, used in writing, reports, and polite speech
• 彼は学生みたい。(He looks like a student. — casual)
• 彼は学生のようだ。(He seems like a student. — formal)

💡 Tip: みたい is casual, and ようだ is more formal. Use them depending on the situation.

2. みたい vs らしい

• みたい → based on what you see or feel
• らしい → based on hearsay or information from others
• 彼は日本語を話せるみたい。(It looks like he can speak Japanese. — judging from appearance or situation)
• 彼は日本語を話せるらしい。(I heard he can speak Japanese. — reported information)

💡 Tip: Both express a kind of assumption, but らしい has a nuance of hearsay—information you got from someone else rather than from your own direct observation.

3. 〜みたい vs 見たい

There’s another word that sounds the same: 見たい (mitai) = want to see.

This is totally different from 〜みたい (like/seems like).

💡 Tip: The “like/seems like” 〜みたい is always written in hiragana. The “want to see” 見たい often uses kanji for 見.

彼女のえがおは、太陽みたい。
kanojo no egao ha, taiyou mitai
Her smile is like the sun.

道が混んでいるみたいです。
michi ga konde iru mitai desu
It seems like the road is crowded.

みてみて！ドラゴンボールの神龍みたいな雲がある！
mite mite! doragon booru no shenron mitai na kumo ga aru
Look, look! There’s a cloud that looks like Shenron from Dragon Ball!

彼がきているみたいなTシャツがほしい。
kare ga kiteiru mitai na T-shatsu ga hoshii
I want a T-shirt like the one he’s wearing.

あの...りんごみたいに赤くて中が黄色いけど、もっと小さくてやわらかいフルーツ...なんだっけ？
ano…ringo mitai ni akakute nakaga kiiroi kedo, motto chiisakute yawarakai furuutsu…nann dakke?
Um… It’s like an apple—red outside and yellow inside—but smaller and softer. What was it?

彼女は走っているみたいに歩く。
kanojo ha hashitte iru mitai ni aruku
She walks as if she’s running.

日本に来れたのがうれしすぎて、子どもみたいにはしゃいでいます。
nihon ni koreta no ga ureshisugite, kodomo mitai ni hashaide imasu
I’m so happy to be in Japan that I’m jumping around like a child.

彼、仕事がうまくいってなくて落ち込んでいるみたい。
kare, shigoto ga umaku ittenakute ochikonde iru mitai
It seems like he’s feeling down because work isn’t going well.

上司の部屋はジャングルみたいにあれている。
joushi no heya ha janguru mitai ni arete iru
My boss’s room is as messy as a jungle.

あの犬、ライオンみたいだね！
ano inu, raion mitai da ne
That dog looks like a lion!

彼女は歌っているみたいに話す。
kanojo ha utatte iru mitai ni hanasu
She talks as if she is singing. 

• Grammar Point: 〜みたい(mitai)
• JLPT Level: N4
• Meaning: like, similar to, resembling, seems like
• Quick Explanation: Used to describe similarity in appearance, feeling, or situation.
  It can also express assumptions based on what you see or hear.
  Key Forms:
  みたい / みたいです → at the end of a sentence (It seems / looks like…)
  みたいな + noun → modifies a noun (A thing like…)
  みたいに + verb/adjective → modifies a verb/adjective (Do something like…)

So that’s how we use 〜みたい in Japanese!

It’s super flexible: you can use it at the end of a sentence (みたい / みたいです), before a noun (みたいな), or before a verb/adjective (みたいに).

Just remember: it’s always written in hiragana, and don’t confuse it with 見たい (want to see).

Now it’s your turn! Try making your own Japanese sentence using 〜みたい.

Your Sensei,

Hikari 👩🏻‍🏫

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