毎～の様に
Almost every ~, Nearly every ~, On a ~ basis
Structure
Explanation
Building upon the meaning of のように, まい～のように is used to express that an action happens with high regularity. The prefix まい comes from the kanji 毎 and means 'every'. It attaches to a unit of measurement (A), most commonly a unit of time.
This expression can be translated into English as 'practically every (A)', 'just about every (A)', or 'on a near-(A) basis'.
- あのカフェには毎日のように通っている。I go to that cafe practically every day.
- 週末は毎週のように映画を見に行く。On weekends, I go to see a movie just about every week.
- 夏になると、家族で毎年のように海へ旅行する。When summer arrives, my family travels to the sea nearly every year.
Since よう (from the kanji 様) conveys a sense of 'likeness' or 'appearance', this grammar point suggests that an event occurs so frequently that it seems as if it happens 'every (A)'. This nuance is why it implies 'almost every' rather than stating with certainty that it is every single time.
Caution
While みたいに can often be used in place of のように, it is not interchangeable with まい～のように. This is because みたいに carries a strong visual connotation (literally 'looks like'), which makes it sound awkward when paired with abstract, non-visible concepts like periods of time.
Examples
祖母は、毎日のように近所の友達と散歩に出かける。
My grandmother goes out for a walk with her neighborhood friends almost every day.
金曜日の夜は、毎週のように外食することにしている。
I make a point of eating out nearly every week on Friday nights.
大学生のとき、毎月のようにお金が足りなくなっていた。
When I was a university student, I would run out of money almost every month.
私の家族は、毎年のように夏休みに沖縄へ旅行します。
My family travels to Okinawa for summer vacation nearly every year.
健康のために、毎朝のように公園を走っています。
For the sake of my health, I go for a run in the park almost every morning.
眠る前に、毎晩のように少しだけ本を読みます。
I read a little bit of a book almost every night before going to sleep.
この映画は感動的で、毎回のように泣いてしまう。
This movie is so moving that I end up crying almost every time.
彼は放課後、毎日のように好きなカフェで勉強した。
He studied at his favorite cafe almost every day after school.
その人気レストランは週末、毎回のようにお客さんでいっぱいだ。
That popular restaurant is packed with customers practically every time on the weekends.
このお寺では、毎年のように秋になると美しい紅葉が見られます。
At this temple, you can see beautiful autumn leaves nearly every year when fall arrives.
新しいゲームをするとき、最初のレベルで毎回のように失敗する。
When I play a new game, I fail on the first level almost every time.
子供のころ、毎晩のようにお母さんが絵本を読んでくれた。
When I was a child, my mother would read me a picture book nearly every night.