みたい
mitai[mʲita̠i]
The Japanese phrase for "sounds like" is みたい (mitai).
みたい is used to indicate that something seems to be true based on information the speaker has heard or sensory input they have received. It expresses an inference or resemblance.
How does it change in a sentence?
In colloquial speech, みたい can follow nouns, adjectives or verbs directly to express resemblance or hearsay. Adding だ makes it a complete predicate for neutral sentences, while adding です makes it polite.
How do you pronounce it?
mitai
Did you know?
- The phrase みたい is actually a condensed version of the longer phrase 見たよう (mita yō), which literally translates to 'as if [I] had seen'.
- Japanese distinguishes between みたい and らしい based on the source of information. みたい reflects a personal impression, whereas らしい suggests the info comes from a reliable external source.
- When used as a simile, みたい functions as a 'na-adjective', which allows it to change the grammatical nature of the word it modifies to describe a state of resemblance.
Examples in context
- 楽しかったみたいね。It sounds like you had a good time.This sentence uses みたい to express that someone had a good time.Tatoeba #12054409 by small_snow, translation #5335400 by Hybrid
- 詐欺みたいなもんだよな。It sounds like a scam.This sentence uses みたい to suggest something resembles a scam.Tatoeba #10990469 by small_snow, translation #3724748 by CM
- あの動物の鳴き声は、犬の鳴き声に似た音に聞こえます。That animal's cry sounds like the barking of a dog.
- あの人のしゃべり方は、アメリカ人っぽい。That person's way of talking sounds American-like.
- 明日は雨が降るみたい。Ashita wa ame ga furu mitai.It sounds like it will rain tomorrow.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing the news about a local festival.
- 蓮 Ren今年の祭りは中止になるみたいだよ。Kotoshi no matsuri wa chushi ni naru mitai da yo.It sounds like this year's festival will be cancelled.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、本当に？残念だね。E, honto ni? Zannen da ne.What, really? That's a shame.
- 蓮 Ren台風の影響みたい。Taifu no eikyo mitai.It sounds like it's due to the typhoon's influence.
- 美咲 Misakiそうなんだ。仕方ないね。So nanda. Shikata nai ne.I see. It can't be helped.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry みたい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries みたい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
