～みたい
like or seems like
～みたい is a colloquial marker of comparison (“like X”) and conjecture (“it seems that ...”). It attaches directly to a noun or to the plain form of a verb or adjective, and behaves like a な-adjective afterwards (みたいだ, みたいな + noun, みたいに + verb).
It is the conversational counterpart of ようだ: same meanings, more casual register.
1. Comparison: “just like X”
After a noun, みたい draws a resemblance. The adverb まるで often sets up the comparison.
まるで夢みたいだ。
“It's just like a dream.”
- まるで = just like / completely (emphasizes the comparison)
- 夢（ゆめ）= dream
- みたいだ = is like
2. Conjecture: “it seems that ...”
After a plain-form clause, みたい marks a guess based on what you see, hear, or feel.
田中さんはもう帰ったみたいだ。
“It seems Tanaka has already gone home.”
- 田中さん（たなかさん）= Mr./Ms. Tanaka
- は = topic marker
- もう = already
- 帰った（かえった）= went home
- みたいだ = it seems
How to form it
Noun / plain form + みたい（だ） — then inflect like a な-adjective
- 夢（ゆめ）= dream → 夢みたいだ（ゆめみたいだ）= is like a dream
- 帰った（かえった）= went home → 帰ったみたいだ（かえったみたいだ）= it seems (he) went home
- 子供（こども）= child → 子供みたいに泣く（こどもみたいになく）= cry like a child
Key idea
～みたい says “based on what I can see or feel, X resembles Y or appears to be the case”, a casual, everyday ようだ.
Other N3 grammar
Updated .