Translation guide
The English word "like" has many uses. This guide covers the most important ones for learners: expressing similarity, giving examples, stating preferences, describing feelings, and more. Each meaning is organized with natural Japanese expressions.
I like cats.
She's like a sister to me.
To say that something is similar to something else.
Used to describe a noun as being like another noun. のような is the adjectival form of ようだ.
He has a childlike heart.
That cloud is shaped like a dog.
Casual equivalent of のような. Very common in spoken Japanese.
That person has a face like a celebrity, huh.
Verb meaning 'to resemble'. Used to say two things are alike.
These two pictures are very similar.
To introduce examples, like 'such as' or 'for instance'.
Means 'such as', 'etc.', or 'and the like'. Often used with や.
To express that you enjoy or have a fondness for something.
Na-adjective meaning 'liked' or 'favorite'. Used with が to mark the liked thing. The subject is often omitted.
To politely express a desire or wish.
Expresses 'I want to do V'. Polite form. For 'would like', it's often softened with んですが or たいんですが.
I'd like to watch a movie.
To indicate an approximate amount or time, like 'about' or 'around'.
Means 'about' or 'approximately'. くらい and ぐらい are interchangeable.
It takes about 10 minutes to the station.
Used as a filler word in casual speech, similar to 'like' or 'you know'.
Japanese doesn't have a direct equivalent of the filler 'like'. Instead, use あの (ano) or えーと (eeto) to pause or hesitate.
To report what someone said or thought, often in casual storytelling.
Casual quotative particle, equivalent to 'was like' or 'said'. Used after the quoted phrase.
English speakers often use 'like' as a filler word (e.g., 'It was, like, so cool'). Japanese doesn't have a direct equivalent. Instead, use pauses, あの, えーと, or なんか in very casual speech. Overusing なんか can sound sloppy.
Like, so, what was it...
好き is the standard way to say 'like' for preferences. 好む is more formal and often used in writing or to express a general preference rather than a specific liking. In daily conversation, stick with 好き.
What does it taste like?
As for fruit, I like apples, bananas, and such.
Casual listing particle, similar to 'like' when giving examples.
On my days off, I do stuff like watch movies or go shopping.
Can also be used to give examples, meaning 'things like N'.
In big cities like Tokyo, rent is high.
I like cats.
Do you like coffee?
More formal/literary verb for 'to like' or 'to prefer'. Less common in daily speech.
He prefers quiet environments.
I'd like to take a short break.
Expresses 'I want N'. For 'would like', it's polite enough on its own.
I'd like a new computer.
About 100 people came.
More formal than くらい. Often used in written Japanese.
The meeting lasted about an hour.
Um, like, I have something I want to ask.
Like, how should I say it...
なんか (nanka) can be used as a filler, similar to 'like' or 'kind of'. Very casual.
Like, I'm just not feeling it today.
He was like, 'I don't want to go.'
And I was like, 'What?!'
Standard quotative pattern. More formal than って.
He said, 'It's okay.'
みたい is a very versatile casual word. It can mean 'looks like', 'seems like', or 'similar to'. It's often used in place of ようだ in spoken Japanese. Example: あの人、怒ってるみたい。(That person looks like they're angry.)
I feel like eating sushi.
He's like a father to me.