そうだ vs らしい vs ようだ vs みたい sou da · rashii · you da · mitai
Appearance そうだ means “looks/seems”; hearsay そうだ means “I hear”; らしい, ようだ, and みたい express other kinds of inference. Appearance そう attaches to a stem, while hearsay そうだ follows a plain clause. らしい can report information or an inference; ようだ expresses a considered impression, and みたい is a more conversational alternative.
sō da · rashii · yō da · mitai
looks like · apparently · it seems · kind of like
Sentences
6 sentences, word by word
what your eyes say
polite
。
Hover, tap, or tab through the words.
今にも
いまにも ［1］
any minute now
adverb · pairs almost exclusively with 〜そう
Ask Rikai
雨
あめ ［1］
rain
noun · 雨が降る is the set phrase
Ask Rikai
が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
Ask Rikai
降り
ふり ［2］
fall (stem)
stem of 降る · the ます-form with ます taken off
Ask Rikai
そうです
そうです
looks like it's about to
appearance そう · attaches to a stem, and conjugates like an adjective
Verb［stem］＋そうN4looks like
Ask Rikai
It looks like it could rain any minute.
what you heard
polite
。
Hover, tap, or tab through the words.
明日
あした ［3］
tomorrow
noun · あした in speech, あす in broadcasts
Ask Rikai
は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
Ask Rikai
雨
あめ ［1］
rain
noun · 雨が降る is the set phrase
Ask Rikai
が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
Ask Rikai
降る
ふる ［1］
to fall (rain, snow)
godan verb · only for things from the sky
Ask Rikai
そうです
そうです
I hear that; they say
hearsay そう · takes a full plain sentence, and never conjugates
Plain ＋ そうだN4I hear that
Ask Rikai
I hear it's going to rain tomorrow.
an adjective you can see
polite
、。
Hover, tap, or tab through the words.
この
この
this
demonstrative · always in front of a noun, never alone
Ask Rikai
ケーキ
ケーキ ［1］
cake
noun · from English
Ask Rikai
おいし
おいし
delicious (stem)
おいしい with the final い removed · what そう attaches to
Ask Rikai
そうです
そうです
looks
appearance そう · you haven't tasted it yet
Adj［stem］＋そうN4looks
Ask Rikai
ね
ね
isn't it
sentence particle · invites agreement
Ask Rikai
This cake looks delicious.
hearsay you're passing on
polite
。
Hover, tap, or tab through the words.
田中
たなか ［0］
Tanaka (surname)
name · 田 rice field + 中 middle
Ask Rikai
さん
さん
Mr; Ms
suffix · never attached to your own name
Ask Rikai
は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
Ask Rikai
今日
きょう ［1］
today
noun · an irregular reading, not こんにち
Ask Rikai
休む
やすむ ［2］
to take the day off; to rest
godan verb · covers both resting and being absent
Ask Rikai
らしいです
らしいです
apparently; I gather
らしい ＋ です · reported information or an inference from clues
〜らしいN4apparently
Ask Rikai
Apparently Tanaka is off today.
your own conclusion
plain
、。
Hover, tap, or tab through the words.
部屋
へや ［2］
room
noun · 部 section + 屋 building
Ask Rikai
が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
Ask Rikai
暗い
くらい ［0］
dark
i-adjective · the opposite is 明るい
Ask Rikai
から
から
from; since
particle · a starting point, or a reason
Ask Rikai
もう
もう ［1］
already
adverb · with a past verb it means “already done”
Ask Rikai
寝た
ねた
went to bed
plain past of 寝る · 寝る is going to sleep, not being asleep
Ask Rikai
ようだ
ようだ
it seems; it looks like
よう “appearance” ＋ だ · your inference from the evidence you have
〜ようだN4it seems
Ask Rikai
The room's dark, so it looks like they've gone to bed.
the casual conclusion
plain
。
Hover, tap, or tab through the words.
どうも
どうも ［1］
somehow; it seems
adverb · sets up a hedge, and pairs with みたい or らしい
Ask Rikai
風邪
かぜ ［0］
a cold (the illness)
noun · 風邪をひく is the fixed pair
Ask Rikai
を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
Ask Rikai
ひいた
ひいた
caught
plain past of ひく · written in kana by convention
Ask Rikai
みたいだ
みたいだ
seems like
the spoken twin of ようだ · attaches straight to plain forms and to bare nouns
〜みたいN4seems like
Ask Rikai
I think I've caught a cold.
Structure
How do you form そうだ, らしい, ようだ and みたい?
Verb［stem］／Adj［stem］＋そうだ
降りそう, おいしそう. Drop ます from 降ります, drop い from おいしい. What your eyes report, before it happens.
Plain form＋そうだ
降るそうだ. A whole plain sentence in front, nothing dropped — and this そうだ never conjugates.
Plain form＋らしい
降るらしい. Apparently it will rain; the information may come from a report or from clues.
Plain form＋ようだ／みたい
降るようだ, 降るみたい. Your own conclusion from evidence. みたい is the spoken one.
Meaning
What's the difference between そうだ, らしい, ようだ and みたい?
Line them up by source and the fog clears.
〜そう on a stem is your eyes.降りそうです — the sky has gone black, and you're reporting what it looks like. おいしそう is said with the cake still in front of you, before the first bite. It's the only one of the four that's about appearance rather than information.
〜そうだ on a plain form is someone else's mouth.降るそうです — the forecast said so, and you're relaying it unchanged. Same two syllables, completely different grammar in front of them, and the difference between おいしそう and おいしいそう is one い.
らしい can report hearsay or an inference. Where そうだ relays, らしい presents information with some distance: 田中さんは休むらしい, “apparently Tanaka's off.” It can also be inferred from clues. If it turns out wrong, the form does not itself settle how responsible the speaker feels.
ようだ is your own reasoning. The room is dark, so もう寝たようだ — nobody told you; you worked it out. みたい is the same word in casual clothes. Use ようだ more often in formal writing, みたい more often in conversation.
Watch out
Where does this go wrong?
おいしそうです and おいしいそうです
One い decides the meaning. おいしそう is “it looks tasty” — you're holding it. おいしいそうです is “I hear it's tasty” — someone told you. Keep the い for hearsay, drop it for appearance.
Conjugating hearsay そうだ
降るそうでした doesn't exist. Hearsay そうだ has one form and stays there. Tense lives on the verb in front instead: 降ったそうです, “I hear it rained.”
みたい in a formal email
みたい is speech. Written Japanese and anything work-facing uses ようだ or ようです. The meaning doesn't change; only the register does.
Also asked
Questions people ask about そうだ, らしい, ようだ and みたい
Which one do I use for something I was told?
そうだ if you're relaying it straight: 雨が降るそうです. らしい if you want distance from it. Both are hearsay; らしい just doesn't commit.
Is いい ＋ そう really よさそう?
Yes. いい and ない are the two irregulars: よさそう, なさそう. Everything else just drops the い — 高そう, 難しそう.
Can そう attach to a noun?
Appearance そう can't — 学生そう is wrong. Hearsay そう can: 学生だそうです, “I hear they're a student.” The だ is the giveaway.
What's the difference between ようだ and みたい?
Register, and how they attach. ようだ is written and formal and takes の after a noun (学生のようだ); みたい is spoken and takes the noun bare (学生みたい).
Does らしい have another meaning?
Yes — “true to type”. 男らしい is “manly”, 春らしい is “properly spring-like”. That らしい follows a noun directly and has nothing to do with hearsay.
How do I say where I heard it?
Put によると in front: 天気予報によると、明日は雨が降るそうです. によると and hearsay そうだ are a matched pair.
