Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'seems' depends on the source of your information: direct observation, hearsay, or inference. The most common patterns are ～そうだ (for direct impression) and ～ようだ (for inference from evidence).
You see or sense something and it gives you an immediate impression. 'It looks...', 'It seems...'
Attach to the stem of an i-adjective (remove い) or na-adjective (without な). For verbs, use the masu-stem. Expresses a direct, intuitive judgment based on appearance. Often translates to 'looks' or 'seems'.
このケーキはおいしそうだ。
This cake looks delicious.
彼は元気そうだ。
He seems energetic.
雨が降りそうだ。
It looks like it's going to rain.
Casual equivalent of ～ようだ. Used in spoken Japanese. Attach directly to nouns, adjectives, or verbs in plain form.
あの人、学生みたいだ。
That person seems to be a student.
You have some evidence or reason to believe something. 'It seems that...', 'Apparently...'
You are relaying something you heard from someone else. 'I heard that...', 'They say that...'
Attach to plain form of verbs, adjectives, or nouns (add だ). This is a different そうだ from the direct impression one. It means 'I heard that...' and is used for secondhand information.
明日は雨が降るそうだ。
I heard it will rain tomorrow.
彼は元気だそうだ。
I heard he's doing well.
You want to say something has the appearance or atmosphere of something else. 'It's like...', 'It seems like...'
Used for resemblance or similarity. Attach to nouns directly. Very common in casual speech.
ここは天国みたいだ。
This place seems like heaven.
彼は子供みたいだ。
He seems like a child.
You want to start a sentence with 'It seems that...' to present an observation or conclusion.
どうやら adds a nuance of 'apparently' or 'it seems that'. Used with ようだ/みたいだ/らしい.
どうやら彼は来ないようだ。
It seems he's not coming.
Similar to どうやら, but can sound slightly more tentative.
The impression そうだ attaches to the stem of adjectives and verbs (e.g., おいしそうだ, 降りそうだ). The hearsay そうだ attaches to the plain form (e.g., おいしいそうだ, 降るそうだ). Context usually makes it clear, but pay attention to the form.
みたいだ is the casual version of ようだ. In formal writing or speech, use ようだ. In everyday conversation, みたいだ is very common. Both express inference from evidence or resemblance.
彼は疲れているようだ。
He seems tired. (formal)
Attach to plain form. Expresses conjecture based on hearsay or situation, often with a nuance of 'I heard that...' or 'it is typical of...'. Can also indicate that something is characteristic.
Also used for hearsay, often interchangeable with ～そうだ, but can sound slightly more indirect or uncertain.
彼女は結婚するらしい。
I heard she's getting married.
Literally 'it is that...'. Used to report what someone said or what is written. More formal.
会議は延期されるということだ。
It seems the meeting will be postponed (I heard).
More formal equivalent of ～みたいだ for resemblance. Noun + の + ようだ.
彼女は天使のようだ。
She seems like an angel.
Attach to nouns or verb stems. Means '-ish' or 'tends to'. Indicates a strong tendency or characteristic. Often negative.
彼は忘れっぽい。
He seems forgetful.
この牛乳、水っぽい。
This milk seems watery.
どうも風邪を引いたようだ。
It seems I've caught a cold.
He seems tired. (casual)
English often uses 'seems' as a hedge. In Japanese, using ～ようだ or ～そうだ too much can sound evasive. If you are certain, state things directly. Use these patterns only when you genuinely have an impression or indirect evidence.
He seems tired. (casual)
English often uses 'seems' as a hedge. In Japanese, using ～ようだ or ～そうだ too much can sound evasive. If you are certain, state things directly. Use these patterns only when you genuinely have an impression or indirect evidence.