How to compare one thing to another and to give examples: ような and みたいな before a noun, ように and みたいに before a verb, まるで〜のようだ for 'as if', and the example pattern 'someone like X'.
About 5 minutes to read
The word よう ("appearance, manner") is a formal noun. It lets you say that one thing is like another.
ようだ: it is like
Noun + の + ようだ = "is like / is as if":
彼女sheの笑顔smileは太陽sunのようだis like
Her smile is like the sun.
まるで夢dreamのようだis like
It's just like a dream.
まるで ("just like") strengthens it.
ような + noun: a ... like...
ような attaches to a noun the way an adjective would:
夢dreamのようなlike話story
a dreamlike story
子供childのようなlike笑顔smile
a childlike smile
ように + verb: in the way of
ように attaches to a verb the way an adverb would:
鳥birdのようにlike飛ぶfly
to fly like a bird
先生teacherが言ったsaidようにasやってdoください
Please do it as the teacher said.
私Iが話すspeakようにas話してspeakください
Please speak the way I speak.
みたい: the casual version
みたい is the casual form of ような, and works with the same grammar:
Formal
Casual
夢のようだ
夢みたいだ
夢のような話
夢みたいな話
鳥のように飛ぶ
鳥みたいに飛ぶ
彼heは子供childみたいlikeだ
He's like a child.
夢dreamみたいなlike話story
a story like a dream
Note that みたい attaches directly to a noun, without の: 子供みたい (not 子供のみたい).
ような: for example
Another use of ような is "such as, like (for instance)":
彼heのようなlike人personが好きliked
I like people like him.
私Iのようなlike者personには無理impossible
It's impossible for someone like me.
日本Japanのようなlike国country
a country like Japan
Here the pattern is X のような Y: a Y that is like X (for example, of the type X).
Seems: ようだ (inference)
As you saw in the lesson on guessing, Plain form + ようだ also means "it seems":
彼heは疲れているis tiredようだseems
He seems tired.
The two senses (similarity and inference) share the same grammar. If a noun comes before, it's usually a comparison; if a plain-form clause comes before, it's usually an inference.
ような気がする
A slightly vague feeling:
彼heが来るcomeような気がするfeel like
I feel like he's coming.
〜らしい: typical of
Noun + らしい says something is typical of that thing:
男manらしいlike a人person
a manly person
春springらしいspring-like天気weather
typical spring weather
彼heらしくないisn't likeね
That's not like him.
Quick map
Meaning
Pattern
is like
N のようだ / みたいだ
a ... like ...
N のような / みたいな + N
in a ... way
N のように / みたいに + V
for example, such as
N のような
it seems
plain + ようだ / みたい
typical of
N らしい
Longer sentences
Similes and examples are at their most common in descriptive and literary writing.
そのthat町はtownまるでjust like昔話にold tales出てくるようなof the kind that appear静かなquiet場所でplace and子供のchild's頃にwhen夢でin a dream見たsaw景色のようだったwas like the scenery
That town was a quiet place like something out of an old folk tale, like the scenery I had seen in dreams as a child.
彼のようなsomeone like him優しい人はkind personなかなかnot easilyいないしdoesn't exist and彼みたいにlike him誰にでもto anyone親切にkindlyできる人はperson who canもっとeven more少ないfew
Kind people like him are hard to find, and people who can be as kind as he is to everyone are rarer still.
Metaphor and example
あのthat人のperson's話し方はway of speakingまるでjust like先生のようでa teacher's and私のようなsomeone like me初心者にもeven to beginners分かりやすくeasy to understand説明してくれるexplains for me
彼みたいにlike him教えられるcan teach人にpersonなりたいとwant to become (quote)思ってthinking真似してimitatingみているがam trying, but彼のようなlike his魔法のようにはmagic-likeいかないdoesn't go
The way that person speaks is just like a teacher's, and he explains things in a way that even a beginner like me can understand.
I want to become a person who can teach like him, and I've been trying to imitate him, but it doesn't go as magically as it does for him.
Key points
ようだ / みたいだ = is like. ような / みたいな before a noun. ように / みたいに before a verb.
みたい attaches to a noun directly.
X のような Y = a Y such as X.
らしい after a noun = typical of.
Drill these patterns
Short example sentences for the points in this lesson: