みたい
Like, Similar to, Resembling
Structure
［い］Adjective + みたい + だ
［な］Adjective + みたい + だ
Noun + みたい + だ
Explanation
To express that something 'seems like' or 'is similar to' something else, Japanese offers several options. Among them is the な-Adjective, みたい. みたい can be attached to various words, just like any other な-Adjective, to convey the meaning of 'like (A)' or 'resembles (A)'.
- あのレストランは閉まっているみたいだ。It looks like that restaurant is closed.
- この鞄は重いみたいだ。This bag seems heavy.
- うちの猫はこのおもちゃが好きみたいだ。It seems like my cat likes this toy.
- 彼女の声は歌手みたいだ。Her voice sounds like a singer's.
As shown in the examples, when みたい concludes a sentence, it is typically followed by だ (or です). In casual conversation, however, this ending is very often dropped.
- 財布、家に忘れたみたい。Looks like I left my wallet at home.
みたい can also be used to describe another noun. When used this way, it must be followed by な. This structure simply communicates that something is '(B), but has qualities that resemble (A)'.
- ハートみたいな雲を見た。I saw a cloud shaped like a heart.
みたい is primarily found in spoken Japanese and is used when making a judgment based on clear, direct evidence. It is significantly more informal than its counterpart, ようだ.
Caution
Even though みたい often means 'to look like' and is based on sensory information (especially visual), it is important not to mix it up with 見たい, meaning 'to want to see'. Because みたい itself is not written with kanji, this is a frequent point of confusion for learners.
Fun Fact
The expression みたいだ actually originated as a shortened version of the more formal phrase を見たような. This origin helps explain why ようだ has retained its formal nuance, while みたい evolved to become its casual equivalent.
Examples
この猫は虎みたいです。
This cat looks like a tiger.
あの店員さんはモデルみたいです。
That store clerk looks like a model.
バスがもうすぐ来るみたいです。
It looks like the bus will be here soon.
この石はハートみたい。
This rock looks like a heart.
あそこはレストランじゃなくて、カフェみたい。
It seems like that place over there is a cafe, not a restaurant.
彼女は眠いみたい。
It seems like she's sleepy.
これ、本物みたいだけど、実は偽物なんだ。
This looks like the real thing, but it's actually a fake.
彼の部屋はゴミ箱みたいだ。
His room is like a garbage can.
山田さんは風邪みたいなので、今日は休むそうです。
It seems Yamada-san has a cold, so I hear he's taking the day off.
この町は静かすぎて、お墓みたいだ。
This town is so quiet it's like a graveyard.
あの二人は別れたみたい。
It seems those two broke up.
この美術館では写真を撮ってもいいみたい。
It seems it is okay to take pictures in this art museum.
誰かがもうケーキを食べたみたい。
It looks like someone already ate the cake.