N3 · Probability and hearsay
らしい: apparently, and typical of
the inference らしい
A plain form plus らしい: it seems so, from what I have heard or gathered.
らしい follows the plain form of a verb or i-adjective and comes directly after a noun or a na-adjective, without だ: 来るらしい, 高いらしい, 雨らしい, 有名らしい. It inflects like an i-adjective itself — らしかった, らしくない, and politely らしいです.
It expresses an inference drawn from indirect information: something overheard, read, or pieced together from clues. 隣に誰か引っ越してきたらしい is "it seems someone has moved in next door" — there were boxes on the stairs, or a neighbour mentioned it. The speaker keeps a certain distance and does not vouch for the claim.
That places らしい between two neighbours. Hearsay そうだ passes information on unchanged; ようだ is a judgement from what the speaker has seen or felt directly. らしい sits in the middle: the speaker has drawn a conclusion, but from second-hand material, which is why it is so common for rumours and news.
After a noun, らしい has a second meaning: "typical of, a true example of". 春らしい天気 is "proper spring weather", 彼らしい is "just like him", and 君らしくない is "that is not like you". A sentence such as 学生らしい can therefore mean "apparently a student" or "very student-like", and only the context decides.
The form
| verb, plain | 来るらしい |
| verb, plain past | 来たらしい |
| verb, negative | 来ないらしい |
| i-adjective | 高いらしい |
| na-adjective (no だ) | 有名らしい |
| noun (no だ) | 雨らしい |
| typical of | 春らしい天気 |
| not like you | あなたらしくない |
The rules one by one
Nouns and na-adjectives take らしい directly, without だ.
あの人は歌手らしい。Apparently that person is a singer.
らしい is an inference from indirect information, and the speaker keeps a distance from it.
噂では、あの二人は付き合っているらしい。Rumour has it those two are going out.
どうも or どうやら in front stresses that the conclusion is tentative.
どうも風邪をひいたらしい。I seem to have caught a cold.
After a noun, らしい can mean "typical of".
今日は春らしい暖かい日だ。Today is a warm, proper spring day.
In that sense its negative is らしくない, "not like X".
そんなことを言うなんて、君らしくないね。Saying a thing like that is not like you.
A closer look
そうだ, らしい, ようだ: three kinds of evidence
Imagine a friend tells you the new ramen shop is excellent. Passing that on as it is, you say おいしいそうだ. Having heard it from several people and drawn your own conclusion, you say おいしいらしい. Having walked past and seen the queue yourself, you say おいしいようだ.
The three overlap in practice, and native speakers mix らしい and ようだ freely. But the direction holds: the further the evidence is from your own senses, the more natural らしい becomes, and the closer it is, the more natural ようだ or みたいだ.
How to spot it
- らしい
- らしいです
- どうも〜らしい
- どうやら〜らしい
- 〜らしくない
Example sentences
隣の家に誰か引っ越してきたらしい。It seems someone has moved into the house next door.
山田さんは来月、会社を辞めるらしいよ。Apparently Mr Yamada is leaving the company next month.
この辺は夜になると静からしい。This area is apparently quiet at night.
今年の夏は特に暑くなるらしいです。It seems this summer is going to be especially hot.
どうも道を間違えたらしい。It looks as though we took a wrong turning.
今日は本当に秋らしい天気ですね。Today really is proper autumn weather.
7 more example sentences
天気予報では、週末は晴れるらしい。The forecast says the weekend will be fine.
あの店のラーメンはかなりおいしいらしい。The ramen at that shop is supposed to be very good.
犯人は窓から逃げたらしい。It seems the culprit escaped through the window.
田中さんは今日は休みらしいです。Apparently Ms Tanaka is off today.
子どもらしい元気な絵だ。It is a lively picture, just the kind a child would draw.
約束を忘れるなんて、彼女らしくない。Forgetting an appointment is not like her.
どうやら電車が止まっているらしい。It looks as though the trains have stopped.
Worth knowing (1)
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One sentence, two readings
彼は学生らしい can mean "apparently he is a student" or "he is every inch a student". In the first reading らしい is the inference ending; in the second it is a suffix that turns the noun into an adjective. Adding どうも forces the first; adding とても forces the second.
彼はとても学生らしい服装をしている。He dresses very much like a student.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Hearsay そうだ keeps the だ — 有名だそうです — and learners carry the habit over. らしい follows the other pattern of this area: after a noun or a na-adjective, nothing comes in between.
らしい means apparently, from what I have gathered — and after a noun, typical of.
Your turn
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