〜っぽい: meaning and usage

How to form it

• noun+っぽい
• verb (masu-stem)+っぽい
• い-adjective stem (without い)+っぽい

How it is used

Casual. After a noun or adjective stem it means 'A-ish, looks like A', often critically (「子どもっぽい」, 「安っぽい」); after a verb stem, 'tends to A' (「忘れっぽい」). Unlike 「らしい」, it doesn't mean 'a typical A'.

Examples

1. 妹はいつも男の子とサッカーをしているから、何だか男の子っぽい。

   My little sister is always playing soccer with boys, so she seems a little boyish.

2. 最近、忘れっぽくて困っている。

   I've been so forgetful lately; it's a real problem.

3. このかばん、ちょっと安っぽく見えるね。

   This bag looks a bit cheap, doesn't it?