JLPT N4 grammar

〜らしいmeaning and usage

Meaning

  1. I heard that A; it seems like A; it appears that A
  2. Just like A; typical of A

This point is also listed at N3.

How to form it

  • verb (plain form)/い-adjectiveらしい
  • noun/な-adjective (stem)らしい

How it is used

A guess based on what you've heard or read: “apparently”, keeping some distance from the claim. After a noun it can also mean “typical of, just like” (「春らしい」). For your own observation, use 「ようだ」.

Examples

  1. 彼は大変眠いらしい。

    He seems to be very sleepy.

  2. 天気予報によると、明日は雪が降るらしいよ。

    According to the weather forecast, it's supposed to snow tomorrow.

  3. 今日は風が暖かくて、春らしい一日でした。

    The wind was warm today; it was a real spring day.