N3 Appearance, Tendencies, and Hearsay

~みたい: meaning, usage and examples

~みたい means: seems... / looks like... (colloquial).

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

Examples

1. この部屋へやには、だれもいないみたいだ。

   This room looks deserted.

2. 外そとは雨あめが降ふっているみたいだ。

   It looks like it's raining outside.

3. 駅えきの前まえで事故じこがあったみたいです。

   It looks like there was an accident in front of the station.

4. 木村きむらさんの部屋へやは、ホテルみたいにきれいです。

   Mr. Kimura's room is as clean as a hotel.

When to use it

みたい has two main uses. First, a guess based on what you see, hear or feel: 雨あめが降ふっているみたい (it looks like it is raining). Second, a comparison: ホテルみたいな部屋へや (a room like a hotel). It also gives examples: 田中たなかさんみたいな人ひと (people like Mr. Tanaka). It is the everyday word for "seems" and "like".

Nuance

Casual and conversational; add です for polite speech. In writing or formal speech, ようだ replaces it. Note the connection: nouns and な-adjectives attach directly (学生がくせいみたい, 静しずかみたい), with no だ or な before みたい. It is a soft guess, not a firm judgment.

Compare

ようだ means the same but is more formal and needs の / な: 学生がくせいのようだ vs 学生がくせいみたいだ. らしい is a guess from information or hearsay: 田中たなかさんは休やすむらしい (I hear he is taking the day off). そうだ after a stem is how something looks at a glance: 雨あめが降ふりそうだ (it looks about to rain).

Tip: No の or な before みたい: 子こどもみたい, never 子こどものみたい. If you are writing an essay, switch to ようだ.