Meaning
ようだ is a pattern used to express three main functions: making subtle or indirect judgments, comparing something to something else (often used in similes), and providing examples. It has three forms depending on context: ようだ for making statements, ような when modifying nouns, and ように when showing manner or purpose. This pattern is similar to みたいだ but is more formal and commonly appears in written Japanese.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 动词 | 普通形 + ようだ |
| い形容词 | ようだ |
| な形容词 | な + ようだ |
| 名词 | の + ようだ |
| 动词 | 普通形 + ようだ |
| 名词 | の + ようだ |
| 动词 | 普通形 + ような + 名词 |
| 名词1 | の + ような + 名词2 |
| 动词1 | 普通形 + ように + 动词2 |
Examples
-
彼の手は、氷のように冷たい。
His hands are cold like ice. -
山田さんのカメラが一番高画質のようなので、旅行の時にそれを使いましょう。
Since Yamada's camera appears to have the best image quality, let's use it on our trip. -
チームのコーチは、鬼のように怒ろしいです。
The team coach is frightening like a demon. -
わたしのクラスに渡辺さんのような頭がいい子は少ない。
There are few children in my class who are smart like Watanabe.
Summary
- ようだ makes indirect judgments; ような modifies nouns; ように shows manner or purpose
- Forms: verb/noun + ようだ (statement), noun + ような + noun (comparison), verb + ように + verb (manner)
- ようだ is more formal/written while みたいだ is more casual/spoken; both share the same three core functions