Lesson 109 of 126
The lesson
11.4 ～らしい — Apparently
Overview
Learn ～らしい, used to express that something seems to be true based on information you have received or observed. It also functions as a suffix meaning "typical of" or "like a true ~".
～らしい — inference from evidence or hearsay
Plain form noun / verb / adjective + らしい
～らしい expresses that based on what you have heard or seen, something appears to be the case. You have some evidence or information, but you are not stating it as a confirmed fact.
| Form type | Example |
|---|---|
| Verb | 来るらしい (apparently coming) |
| い-adjective | 難しいらしい (apparently difficult) |
| な-adjective | 有名らしい (apparently famous) |
| Noun | 先生らしい (apparently a teacher) |
Second meaning: "-like; typical of"
As a suffix attached directly to a noun, らしい means "typical of" or "behaving like a true ~":
～らしい vs ～そうだ (hearsay)
Both can express hearsay, but:
- ～らしい is based on general knowledge or multiple indirect sources
- ～そうだ (hearsay) quotes a more specific, direct piece of information
Dialogue
あAきごう：たなか田中さん、さいきん最近みません見ませんね。 bBきごう：かぜ風邪らしいですよ。
あAきごう：あのあたらしい新しいかふぇカフェ、どうですか。 bBきごう：こうひいコーヒーがすごくおいしいらしいです。こんど今度いって行ってみましょう。
A: I haven't seen Tanaka-san lately. B: Apparently she has a cold.
A: How is that new café? B: The coffee is apparently really good. Let's try going sometime.
A: The weather is nice today, isn't it. B: It's started to feel like proper spring, hasn't it.
New words
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