English has one word: “seems.” Japanese has at least four expressions, each encoding how you got the information: Did someone tell you? Did you see it yourself? Are you guessing from evidence? This distinction matters.
Overview: The Four Expressions
| Expression | Meaning | Source of Info | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜そうだ (hearsay) | I heard that ~ | Someone told you | N4 |
| 〜そうだ (appearance) | It looks like ~ | Your visual impression | N4 |
| 〜らしい | It seems / apparently | Indirect evidence / rumor | N4-N3 |
| 〜ようだ / みたいだ | It appears that ~ | Your own observation | N4-N3 |
1. そうだ — Hearsay (“I heard that”)
Formation: Plain form + そうだ
| Type | Formation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | 降る + そうだ | 明日雨が降るそうだ。(I heard it will rain tomorrow.) |
| い-adj | 高い + そうだ | あの店は高いそうだ。(I heard that restaurant is expensive.) |
| な-adj | 静かだ + そうだ | この町は静かだそうだ。(I heard this town is quiet.) |
| Noun | 先生だ + そうだ | 田中さんは先生だそうだ。(I heard Tanaka is a teacher.) |
2. そうだ — Appearance (“It looks like”)
Formation: Verb stem / Adj stem + そうだ
| Type | Formation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | 降り + そうだ | 雨が降りそうだ。(It looks like it will rain.) |
| い-adj | おいし + そうだ | このケーキはおいしそうだ。(This cake looks delicious.) |
| な-adj | 元気 + そうだ | 彼は元気そうだ。(He looks healthy.) |
Critical difference: 雨が降るそうだ (I heard it will rain) vs 雨が降りそうだ (It looks like it will rain). The formation reveals the meaning. Hearsay = plain form. Appearance = stem.
3. らしい (“Apparently / It seems”)
Formation: Plain form + らしい
| Example | Meaning | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| 彼は来ないらしい。 | Apparently he's not coming. | Heard from someone or inferred |
| あの映画は面白いらしい。 | That movie is apparently interesting. | General reputation |
| 彼女は日本人らしい。 | She's apparently Japanese. | Based on indirect info |
Bonus meaning: N + らしい = “typical of N”: 男らしい (manly), 春らしい天気 (spring-like weather)
4. ようだ / みたいだ (“It appears that”)
Formation: Plain form + ようだ (formal) / みたいだ (casual)
| Formal | Casual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 雨が降るようだ。 | 雨が降るみたいだ。 | It appears it will rain. (I see dark clouds) |
| 忙しいようだ。 | 忙しいみたいだ。 | They appear to be busy. (I can see signs) |
| 風邪のようだ。 | 風邪みたいだ。 | It appears to be a cold. (based on symptoms) |
Comparison Chart
| Expression | Evidence Source | Certainty | Formality |
|---|---|---|---|
| そうだ (hearsay) | Someone told you | Reporting, not judging | Neutral |
| そうだ (appearance) | Visual impression | Low-medium | Neutral |
| らしい | Indirect/hearsay + some evidence | Medium | Neutral |
| ようだ | Your own observation | Medium-high | Formal |
| みたいだ | Your own observation | Medium-high | Casual |
Grammar Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Different formations. Hearsay: plain form + そうだ (雨が降るそうだ = I heard it will rain). Appearance: stem + そうだ (雨が降りそうだ = It looks like it will rain).
らしい = indirect evidence or hearsay. ようだ = your own direct observation. みたいだ is the casual version of ようだ.
みたいだ for appearance, って for hearsay (casual version of そうだ). In formal/written contexts, ようだ and そうだ are standard.
The kanji context that makes grammar patterns click.