N1 Appearance, Manner, and Resemblance

~じみる / ~じみた: meaning, usage and examples

~じみる / ~じみた means: to look like... / to sound like... (negative connotation).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 彼かれはまだ若わかいのに、年寄としよりじみたことばかり言いう。

   Even though he's still young, he says things that sound like something an old man would say.

2. 説教せっきょうじみた話はなしは、もう聞ききたくない。

   I don't want to hear any more preachy stories.

3. いい大人おとなが、そんな子こどもじみたいたずらをするものではない。

   A grown adult shouldn't play such childish pranks.

4. 彼かれの謝罪しゃざいはどこか芝居しばいじみていて、本心ほんしんとは思おもえなかった。

   His apology seemed somehow theatrical, and I couldn't believe he meant it.

When to use it

A suffix meaning "to look or seem like X", usually something it should not be like: 子こどもじみた (childish), 年寄としよりじみた (like an old person), 説教せっきょうじみた (preachy), 芝居しばいじみた (theatrical, put on). It also means "stained with" in a few words: 汗あせじみたシャツ (a sweat-stained shirt).

Nuance

Negative and critical. It is used for behavior, speech and appearance that look inappropriate for the person or situation. It attaches to a limited set of nouns. じみた + Noun and じみている are the common forms; the dictionary form じみる alone is rare.

Compare

っぽい is a neutral or casual "-ish": 子こどもっぽい can just mean youthful. 子こどもじみた is clearly critical: 子こどもじみた言いい訳わけ (a childish excuse). Compare めいた (冗談じょうだんめいた, 春はるめいた), which means "showing signs of" and is neutral, often used for seasons. じみた is for faults, めいた is for hints.

Tip: Think "smells of X, in a bad way". If the sentence is a complaint about behavior, じみた fits.