JLPT N4 Grammar – “〜よう”・”〜みたい”・”〜そう”・”〜らしい” ①
Table of Contents
1. The difference betweeb “〜よう”・”〜みたい”・”〜そう”・”〜らしい”
2. 〜よう
3. 〜みたい
4. 〜そう
5. 〜らしい
6. Let’s Compare
7. Summary
8. Quiz
9. Similar Articles
10. Comments
Q: What are the differences between “〜よう,” “〜みたい,” “〜そう,” and “〜らしい”?
A: “〜よう,” “〜みたい,” “〜そう,” and “〜らしい” are expressions used to explain or make judgments about things based on what the speaker has seen or heard.
However, they differ in how they are used and how they connect to other words.
The basic differences are as follows:
〜よう: Used to compare one thing to another. It is also used to express a judgment based on the situation.
〜みたい: Similar to “〜よう,” but mainly used in conversation.
〜そう: Used to make a judgment based on appearance or how something seems. It is also used to report information the speaker has heard.
〜らしい: Used to make a judgment based on information heard from others or obtained from other sources.
In this article, we will look at the basic uses and connection rules for each expression.
〜よう (JLPT N4)
Rule ① Comparison and Metaphor
Used when comparing something to another thing that closely resembles it.
[Rules]
[N] Noun + の + ようだ
[N] Noun + のような + noun
[N] Noun + のように + verb/adjective
[Examples]
この字は子どもが書いたようです。
This handwriting looks like it was written by a child.
グレープフルーツのような酸っぱい果物が苦手です。
I do not like sour fruits such as grapefruit.
赤ちゃんのような肌ですね。
You have skin like a baby’s.
この布は絹のように柔らかいです。
This fabric is as soft as silk.
彼は魚のように上手に泳ぎます。
He swims like a fish.
Rule ② Conjecture and Judgment
Used when the speaker judges that something is probably true based on what they have seen or heard, or on the surrounding circumstances.
It is slightly more formal than “〜みたい” and is also commonly used in written language.
[Rules]
[V] Verb plain form + ようだ
[A] い adjective + ようだ
[Na] な adjective + ようだ
[N] Noun + の + ようだ
[Examples]
空が暗くなってきました。雨が降るようです。
The sky is getting dark. It seems that it is going to rain.
娘は毎日楽しそうに学校の話をします。学校が楽しいようです。
My daughter talks happily about school every day. It seems that she enjoys school.
彼女は困っている人をいつも助けています。とても親切なようです。
She always helps people in trouble. She seems to be very kind.
彼は社員証を持っています。あの会社の社員のようです。
〜みたい (JLPT N4)
Rule ① Comparison and Metaphor
Used when comparing something to another thing that closely resembles it.
[Rules]
[N] Noun + みたいだ
[N] Noun + みたいな + noun
[N] Noun + みたいに + verb/adjective
[Examples]
テーマパークで、子どもみたいに遊びました。
I played like a child at the theme park.
これ、お酒みたいな味がするね。
This tastes like alcohol.
ジョンさんは日本人みたいに日本語が上手です。
John speaks Japanese as well as a Japanese person.
あの二人はいつも一緒にいて、兄弟みたいです。
Those two are always together. They are like brothers.
雲がアイスクリームみたいな形をしています。
The cloud is shaped like ice cream.
Rule ② Conjecture and Judgment
Used when making a judgment based on what the speaker has seen or heard, or on the surrounding circumstances.
[Rules]
[V] Verb plain form + みたいだ
[A] い adjective plain form + みたいだ
[Na] な adjectiveな + みたいだ
[N] Noun + みたいだ
[Examples]
玄関で音がしました。誰か来たみたいです。
I heard a noise at the entrance. It seems that someone has arrived.
娘はアメリカでの生活が楽しいみたいです。
It seems that my daughter is enjoying her life in America.
弟は今日のごはんが嫌いみたいです。
It seems that my younger brother does not like today’s meal.
明日は晴れみたいです。
It looks like it will be sunny tomorrow.
田中さんは今日は暇みたいです。
It seems that Mr. Tanaka is free today.
〜そう (JLPT N4)
Rule ① Appearance and Outward Signs
Used when looking at a person or thing in front of you and judging that “it appears to be that way” or “it looks like it is about to happen.”
[Rules]
[V] Verb stem form + そうだ *ない → なさそうだ
[A] い adjectiveい + そう *いい → よさそうだ
[Na] な adjectiveな + そうだ
[Examples]
もう少し頑張れば、JLPTに合格できそうです。
It looks like I may be able to pass the JLPT if I try a little harder.
明日は天気がよさそうです。
Tomorrow’s weather looks good.
父は毎日遅くまで働いていて、大変そうです。
My father works late every day and seems to be having a hard time.
甘そうなケーキですね。
That cake looks sweet.
子どもがおいしそうにごはんを食べています。
The child is eating the food with great enjoyment.
雨が降りそうです。
It looks like it is going to rain.
Rule ② Hearsay
Used when passing on information heard from another person, the news, a weather forecast, or another source.
This “〜そうだ” connects to words differently from the “〜そうだ” used to describe appearance.
[Rules]
[V] Verb plain form + そうだ
[A] い adjective plain form + そうだ
[Na] な adjectiveな + だ + そうだ
[N] Noun + だ + そうだ
[Examples]
山田君は1週間休むそうです。
I heard that Yamada will take a week off.
天気予報によると、明日は天気がいいそうです。
According to the weather forecast, the weather will be nice tomorrow.
母によると、昔この町はとてもきれいだったそうです。
According to my mother, this town used to be very beautiful.
父は今日、残業だそうです。
I heard that my father has to work overtime today.
田中さんは元気だそうです。
I heard that Mr. Tanaka is doing well.
〜らしい (JLPT N4)
“〜らしい” is used when the speaker judges that something is apparently true based on information heard from other people, rumors, news reports, or the surrounding circumstances.
In this usage, it can have a meaning similar to “〜そうだ.”
[Rules]
[V] Verb plain form + らしい
[A] い adjective plain form + らしい
[Na] な adjective な + らしい
[N] Noun + らしい
[Examples]
あの道で事故があったらしいです。
Apparently, there was an accident on that road.
あのレストランは、有名なシェフがオーナーでおいしいらしいよ。
Apparently, that restaurant is good because it is run by a famous chef.
アンさんはジョンさんをよく無視しています。どうもジョンさんのことが嫌いらしいです。
Ann often ignores John. Apparently, she does not like him.
明日は雨らしいので、傘を持って行きましょう。
Apparently, it will rain tomorrow, so let’s take an umbrella.
田中さんは来月会社を辞めるらしいです。
Apparently, Mr. Tanaka is leaving the company next month.
Let’s Compare
The main uses of the four expressions can be organized as follows.
| Comparison and Metaphor | Metaphor Conjecture and Judgment | Appearance and Outward Signs | Hearsay | |
| よう | ◯ | ◯ | ||
| みたい | ◯ | ◯ | ||
| そう | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | |
| らしい | ◯ | ◯ |
In this article, we will focus particularly on the following two points:
- “そう” used to describe appearance and outward signs
- “よう” and “みたい” used for comparison and metaphor
The subtle differences between these expressions when they are used for conjecture or hearsay will be explained in detail in the next article.
[そう｜Appearance and Outward Signs]
The appearance-related “〜そう” is used when the speaker makes a judgment based on the appearance of a person or thing they have actually seen.
[Examples]
雲が1つもありません。明日の天気もよさそうです。
There is not a single cloud in the sky. Tomorrow’s weather looks good too.
父は毎朝早く家を出て、夜遅く帰ってきます。仕事が大変そうです。
My father leaves home early every morning and comes home late at night. His job seems tough.
山田さんは病気で1週間会社を休んでいましたが、今日会ったら元気そうだったので安心しました。
Mr. Yamada had been absent from work for a week because he was sick, but he looked well when I saw him today, so I was relieved.
この飲み物にはアイスクリームとチョコレートが入っています。とても甘そうですね。
This drink contains ice cream and chocolate. It looks very sweet.
皿がテーブルの端にあります。落ちそうです。
The plate is at the edge of the table. It looks like it is going to fall.
[よう・みたい｜Comparison and Metaphor]
“〜よう” and “〜みたい” are used when comparing a person, thing, or situation to something else that closely resembles it.
Although their basic meanings are the same, they are used in slightly different situations.
- 〜みたい: Commonly used in everyday conversation
- 〜よう: Also used in written language and formal situations
[Examples]
手が氷のように冷たいです。
手が氷みたいに冷たいです。
My hands are as cold as ice.
彼女は天使のような人です。
彼女は天使みたいな人です。
She is like an angel.
この雲は、綿あめのようです。
この雲は、綿あめみたいです。
This cloud looks like cotton candy.
あの人はロボットのように働きます。
あの人はロボットみたいに働きます。
That person works like a robot.
Summary
- “〜よう” is used for comparison and metaphor, as well as for conjectures and judgments based on the situation.
- “〜よう” is also used in written language and formal situations.
- Like “〜よう,” “〜みたい” is used for comparison and metaphor, as well as for conjectures and judgments.
- “〜みたい” is a casual expression commonly used in everyday conversation.
- The appearance-related “〜そう” is used when making a judgment based on the appearance of a person or thing.
- The hearsay-related “〜そう” is used when passing on information heard from another person or the news.
- “〜そう” follows different connection rules depending on whether it expresses appearance or hearsay.
- “〜らしい” is used when making a judgment based on information heard from others or obtained from other sources.
- “〜よう” and “〜みたい” have basically the same meaning when used for comparison and metaphor.
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. よさそう
このジュース、野菜がたくさん使われていて体によさそうですね。
This juice contains a lot of vegetables and looks good for you.
*When the appearance-related “〜そう” is added to “いい,” it is based on the form “よい,” becoming “よさそう.” Therefore, “よさそう” is the correct answer.
A. みたいな
彼はもう22歳なのに、子どもみたいな話し方をします。
Even though he’s already 22, he speaks like a child.
*When “みたいな” is used with a noun, the structure is “noun + みたいな + noun.” When “ような” is used, “の” is required after the noun, making “子どものような話し方.” Therefore, “みたいな” is the correct answer from the given choices.
A. ように
このケーキは、アメリカのケーキのように大きいです。
This cake is as big as an American cake.
*The cake is being compared to an American cake, so “ように,” which expresses comparison or metaphor, is the correct answer.
A. 忙しそう
マリアさんはいつも残業していて、忙しそうですね。
Maria works overtime until late every day, so she looks busy.
*The speaker judges that Maria is busy based on the way she is working. Therefore, “忙しそう,” which expresses appearance, is the correct answer.
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