みたいに / みたいな

みたいに and みたいな are used to express that something is "like" or "similar to" something else. They attach to nouns, verbs (plain form), and adjectives to draw comparisons or describe resemblance.

みたいに functions adverbially – it modifies verbs and describes how something is done.

みたいな functions adjectivally – it modifies nouns and describes what kind of thing something is.

Attaching to different word types

Noun + みたいに / みたいな:

Verb (plain form) + みたいに / みたいな:

い-adjective + みたいに / みたいな:

みたいに vs. ように / ような

みたいに / みたいな is the **casual, conversational** equivalent of ように / ような. In formal writing or polite speech, ように / ような is preferred, while みたいに / みたいな is more natural in everyday conversation.

みたいだ – sentence-ending form

At the end of a sentence, みたいだ (or polite みたいです) can express resemblance or conjecture ("it seems like").

The conjecture usage ("it seems") is a separate grammar point.