Seems Like: そう・よう・らしい・みたい推量の表現
Japanese has four main ways to express "seems like" or "apparently," each with a different nuance based on the evidence source. そう is based on appearance, よう on observation/evidence, らしい on hearsay/reputation, and みたい on casual impression. This is one of the most tested grammar comparisons on the JLPT.
Japanese has four main ways to express "seems like" or "apparently," each with a different nuance based on the evidence source. そう is based on appearance, よう on observation/evidence, らしい on hearsay/reputation, and みたい on casual impression. This is one of the most tested grammar comparisons on the JLPT.
そう — "looks like" (visual impression)
そう expresses a judgment based on how something looks right now. You see a cake and say 美味しそう (it looks delicious). Attachment: い-adj: drop い + そう → 美味しそう. な-adj: stem + そう → 元気そう. Verb masu-stem: + そう → 降りそう (looks like it will rain). Important: いい → よさそう (NOT いそう). ない → なさそう (NOT ないそう).
そう as hearsay (different そう)
There is a DIFFERENT そう that means "I heard that..." — this attaches to the plain form directly: 美味しいそうだ (I heard it’s delicious), 雨が降るそうだ (I heard it will rain). Do not confuse appearance-そう (stem + そう) with hearsay-そう (plain form + そうだ). They look similar but have completely different meanings and attachment rules.
よう — "appears to be" (evidence-based)
ようだ expresses a judgment based on evidence or observation — not just visual appearance, but also sounds, context, logical reasoning. It is more analytical than そう. Attachment: plain form + ようだ: 雨が降るようだ (it appears it will rain — based on clouds, forecast, etc.), 彼は忙しいようだ (he appears to be busy). ようだ conjugates as a な-adjective: ような (before nouns), ように (adverbially).
らしい — "apparently" (hearsay/reputation)
らしい conveys information from an external source — something you heard, read, or is commonly known. Attachment: plain form + らしい: あの店は美味しいらしい (apparently that restaurant is good — someone told me), 彼は来ないらしい (apparently he’s not coming). らしい conjugates like an い-adjective: らしくない, らしかった. Note: Xらしい also means "X-like" or "typical of X" when attached to nouns: 男らしい (manly), 春らしい (spring-like).
みたい — "seems like" (casual impression)
みたい is the casual, conversational equivalent of ようだ. It expresses a general impression. Attachment: plain form + みたい: 彼は怒っているみたい (he seems angry), 雨が降るみたい (seems like it’ll rain). みたい conjugates as a な-adjective: みたいな (before nouns), みたいに (adverbially). みたい is less formal than ようだ and more common in everyday speech.
How to choose the right one
Ask yourself: Where does your information come from? (1) You SEE it directly → そう (美味しそう). (2) You observe evidence/clues → ようだ (美味しいようだ). (3) Someone told you / you read it → らしい (美味しいらしい). (4) Your casual impression → みたい (美味しいみたい). In practice, よう and みたい overlap heavily, with みたい being more casual.
そう vs よう vs らしい vs みたい comparison
| Expression | Evidence source | Attachment to い-adj | Attachment to な-adj | Formality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜そう | Visual appearance | 美味しそう (drop い) | 元気そう (stem) | Neutral |
| 〜ようだ | Observation/evidence | 美味しいようだ (plain) | 元気なようだ (な) | Formal |
| 〜らしい | Hearsay/reputation | 美味しいらしい (plain) | 元気らしい (stem) | Neutral |
| 〜みたい | Casual impression | 美味しいみたい (plain) | 元気みたい (stem) | Casual |
| 〜そうだ (hearsay) | Heard/reported | 美味しいそうだ (plain) | 元気だそうだ (だ) | Neutral |
Example sentences
このケーキは美味しそう！
Kono keeki wa oishisou!
This cake looks delicious!
そう: visual impression — you see the cake
彼は疲れているようだ。
Kare wa tsukarete iru you da.
He appears to be tired.
ようだ: evidence-based — you notice his behavior
あの映画は面白いらしい。
Ano eiga wa omoshiroi rashii.
Apparently that movie is interesting.
らしい: hearsay — someone told you or you read reviews
明日は雨みたい。
Ashita wa ame mitai.
Looks like it’ll rain tomorrow.
みたい: casual impression
彼女は元気そうだった。
Kanojo wa genki sou datta.
She looked healthy/energetic.
そう past tense: 元気 + そう + だった
よさそうな店を見つけた。
Yosasou na mise o mitsuketa.
I found a place that looks good.
いい → よさそう (irregular + な before noun)
Common mistakes
美味しいそう (oishii sou)
美味しそう (oishi sou) — for "looks delicious"
Appearance-そう requires dropping い first. 美味しいそう (keeping い) means "I heard it’s delicious" — that is the hearsay-そう, a completely different grammar point.
いそう (isou)
よさそう (yosasou)
いい is irregular. For appearance-そう, いい → よさそう. The さ is inserted as a euphonic buffer.
ないそう for "looks like there isn’t"
なさそう (nasasou)
ない becomes なさそう (with inserted さ) for appearance-そう. ないそう would mean "I heard there isn’t" (hearsay-そう).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 美味しそう and 美味しいそう?
美味しそう (drop い, then add そう) = "looks delicious" — you are looking at the food. 美味しいそう (keep い, add そうだ) = "I heard it’s delicious" — someone told you. This is one of the most important distinctions in Japanese grammar.
Which one should I use on the JLPT?
All four appear on the JLPT. そう (appearance) is N4. ようだ, らしい, and みたい are N3. The JLPT loves testing whether you can distinguish between them based on context. Focus on the evidence source: see it → そう, evidence → よう, heard it → らしい, impression → みたい.
Can I use みたい in formal writing?
No. みたい is casual/spoken Japanese. In formal writing, use ようだ instead. They have essentially the same meaning, but ようだ is the written/formal register equivalent.
You SEE a cake and think it looks delicious. Which form?