Have you ever heard Japanese speakers say things like 「あの人ひとは先生せんせいらしい」 or 「明日あしたは雨あめらしいよ」?
The ending 〜らしい can be confusing because it doesn’t always mean the same thing. Sometimes it expresses hearsay (“I heard that…”), and sometimes it describes something that seems typical or fitting (“looks like…” or “has the qualities of…”).

Let’s break it down clearly!

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💬 1. Meaning ① — Hearsay / Something You Heard

When you use 〜らしい after a noun, verb, or adjective, it often means you heard something from someone else or from the news, not that you saw it yourself.

🧠 Structure

• Verb (plain form) + らしい
• い-adjective + らしい
• な-adjective (without な) + らしい
• Noun + らしい

🗣️ Examples

• 明日あしたは雨あめが降ふるらしい。
• → I heard it’s going to rain tomorrow.
  
• 田中たなかさんは結婚けっこんしたらしい。
• → I heard Tanaka-san got married.
  
• この店みせのラーメンは美味おいしいらしい。
• → I heard the ramen here is delicious.
  
• あの映画えいがはとても人気にんきらしい。
• → I heard that movie is really popular.
  
• 彼かれは新あたらしい仕事しごとを見みつけたらしい。
• → I heard he found a new job.
  
• そのニュースは嘘うそらしいよ。
• → I heard that news is fake.
  
• 東京とうきょうでは桜さくらがもう咲さいたらしい。
• → I heard the cherry blossoms have already bloomed in Tokyo.

📝 You didn’t see it yourself — you got the information indirectly.

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👀 2. Meaning ② — Appearance / Seeming Typical

When you describe something that looks or behaves just like what it’s supposed to, use 〜らしい with a noun. It shows characteristic or typical quality.

🧠 Structure

• Noun + らしい

🗣️ Examples

• 今日きょうは春はるらしい天気てんきですね。
• → It’s such a spring-like day today.
  
• あの子こは子こどもらしいね。
• → That child is so childlike / acts like a real child.
  
• この部屋へやは日本にほんらしいデザインですね。
• → This room has such a Japanese-style design.
  
• 今日きょうは夏なつらしい暑あつさです。
• → It’s a really summer-like heat today.
  
• この祭まつりは日本にほんらしい伝統でんとうがあります。
• → This festival has a very traditional Japanese spirit.

🌼 This らしい expresses “typical of” or “fitting for” something.

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⚖️ 3. 〜らしい vs 〜みたい・〜そう

Expression	Used When	Example	English
〜らしい	Based on what you heard	明日あしたは雨あめらしい。	I heard it’ll rain.
〜みたい	Based on what you see or guess	雨あめが降るみたい。	It looks like it’ll rain.
〜そう	Based on visual impression or immediate prediction	雨あめが降ふりそう。	It looks like it’s about to rain.

💡 〜らしい = information from others; 〜みたい / 〜そう = your own impression.

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📝 Practice

Translate these into English or Japanese:

1. 日本にほんでは桜さくらがもう咲さいたらしい。
   
2. 彼かれはとても先生せんせいらしい話はなし方かたをします。
   
3. あの映画えいがは面白おもしろいらしいよ。
   
4. 今日きょうは冬ふゆらしい寒さむさだね。
   
5. 田中たなかさんは新あたらしい会社かいしゃに入はいったらしい。

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🪷 Summary

Type	Meaning	Example
Hearsay	“I heard that…”	彼かれは結婚けっこんしたらしい。
Appearance	“Typical of / looks like…”	春はるらしい天気てんきですね。

👉 Remember:

Don’t confuse it with 〜そう or 〜みたい — those show your own impression.

〜らしい can describe what you heard or what seems typical.

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