Japanese grammar
What does ～みたい mean? Japanese grammar N4
～みたい means like ~, seems like ~.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | N みたいだ N みたいな N N みたいに V |
| Romaji | ~ mitai |
| Meaning | like ~, seems like ~ |
Forming it
| Noun | N + みたいだ／みたいです |
|---|---|
| Modifying a noun | N + みたいな + N |
| Modifying a verb | N + みたいに + V |
| Verb / adjective | V (plain form) / A (plain form) + みたいだ |
How to use it
Comparison or inference based on direct perception — casual spoken language.
- みたい conjugates like a NA-ADJECTIVE: みたいだ (ending a sentence), みたいな + N (modifying a noun), みたいに + V (modifying a verb). This trio must be memorized.
- Important rule: after a noun, みたい has NO の — 「子どもみたいです」. Compare with ように, which always has の — 「子どものようです」. This is exactly the spot Vietnamese speakers often get wrong.
- Meaning 1 — COMPARISON (like ように but casual): 「彼は子どもみたいです」(he is like a child).
- Meaning 2 — INFERENCE based on what one directly sees/hears/feels: 「外は雨みたいです」(it seems to be raining outside — because I hear the sound of rain). Different from らしい (based on information heard from OTHER people) and そうです (hearsay). みたい = I perceive it myself and guess.
Examples
外は雨みたいですね。
It seems to be raining outside.
田中さんは子どもみたいに元気ですね。
Mr. Tanaka is as energetic as a child.
私も先輩みたいな人になりたいです。
I want to become a person like my senior.
Keep in mind
- みたい is SPOKEN language — formal writing and official documents use ように/ようです.
- Even though みたい looks similar to 見たい (want to see), they're completely different; みたい here is written in kana, not kanji.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong子どものみたいです。
Looks like a child.
Correct子どもみたいです。
After a noun, みたい has NO の. (Remember the opposite: ように ALWAYS has の — 子どものようです.)
-
Wrong子どもみたい人です。
A person who looks like a child.
Correct子どもみたいな人です。
みたい conjugates like a na-adjective → when modifying a noun, な must be added.
Exam tips
- Remember the の trick: ように HAS の, みたい does NOT. Exams frequently trap exactly this point.