～のようだ
like / as if (simile)
～のようだ attaches to a noun and says that something is like that noun. Use Noun + のようだ at the end of a sentence, のように before a verb or adjective, and のような before another noun.
For English speakers it matches “like ...” or “as if ...”. In casual speech, ～みたいだ works the same way.
1. At the end of a sentence: のようだ
To say “A is like B”, put のようだ after the noun B. The adverb まるで is often added in front to strengthen the comparison.
彼女の笑顔はまるで夢のようだ。
“Her smile is just like a dream.”
- 彼女（かのじょ）= she, her
- の = possessive particle (her ...)
- 笑顔（えがお）= smile
- は = topic marker
- まるで = just like (strengthens the comparison)
- 夢（ゆめ）= dream
- のようだ = is like
2. Before a verb or adjective: のように
To describe how someone does something, use のように, which works like an adverb.
彼は魚のように泳ぐ。
“He swims like a fish.”
- 彼（かれ）= he
- は = topic marker
- 魚（さかな）= fish
- のように = like (describing how)
- 泳ぐ（およぐ）= to swim
3. Before a noun: のような
To describe what kind of thing something is, use のような directly before the noun.
今日は夏のような天気ですね。
“The weather today is like summer, isn't it?”
- 今日（きょう）= today
- は = topic marker
- 夏（なつ）= summer
- のような = like (describing the next noun)
- 天気（てんき）= weather
- です = polite “is”
- ね = sentence-ending particle asking for agreement
How to form it
Noun + のようだ (sentence end) / のように (before verbs and adjectives) / のような (before nouns)
- 夢（ゆめ）= dream → 夢のようだ（ゆめのようだ）= is like a dream
- 魚（さかな）= fish → 魚のように泳ぐ（さかなのようにおよぐ）= swims like a fish
- 夏（なつ）= summer → 夏のような天気（なつのようなてんき）= summer-like weather
Key idea
Noun + のようだ draws a picture “it is like this noun”. Be careful: when ようだ follows a whole clause without の, it usually expresses a guess (“it seems that ...”), not a comparison.
Other N4 grammar
Updated .