ような気がするHave a feeling that; vaguely feel as though
ような気がする presents something as a tentative personal hunch: you feel that it may be true, but you are not confident enough to state it directly.
A feeling rather than a firm conclusion
Use this expression when your judgment is based on an indistinct impression, intuition, or incomplete memory. The entire clause before ような気がする is what you tentatively feel may be true.
A vague prediction
この計画は、今のままだとうまくいかないような気がする。
I have a feeling this plan will not work if we leave it as it is.
AnalyzeThe speaker has a bad feeling but does not claim to have decisive evidence.
An uncertain recollection
駅前の喫茶店で、あの人に前にも会ったような気がする。
I feel as though I have met that person before at the coffee shop by the station.
AnalyzeThe past verb presents a memory that the speaker cannot clearly confirm.
Connecting nouns and na-adjectives
In the affirmative nonpast, remember な after a na-adjective and の after a noun.
How tentative is it?
ようだ can present an inference more directly from appearances or circumstances. Adding 気がする explicitly frames the judgment as only the speaker's personal feeling, so it normally sounds more tentative.
今日はいつもより人が少ないような気がする。
I feel as though there are fewer people than usual today.
AnalyzeThe speaker notices an impression but leaves room for being mistaken.
A closely related wording
ような感じがする is closely related and can also describe a vague impression. In contexts where you are cautiously stating what you think may be true, it often overlaps with ような気がする.
More examples
この道を選べば、少し早く着けるような気がする。
I have a feeling we could arrive a little earlier if we take this road.
Analyzeどこかでこの曲を聞いたような気がする。
I feel as though I have heard this song somewhere before.
Analyze彼の説明は少し長いような気がする。
I feel his explanation may be a little long.
Analyze最初は簡単なような気がしたが、実際に始めると難しかった。
At first I had a feeling it would be easy, but once I started, it was difficult.
Analyzeあの二人は兄弟ではないような気がする。
I have a feeling those two are not brothers.
Analyzeここは昔、映画館だったような気がします。
I seem to remember that this used to be a movie theater.
Analyze