Japanese Grammar: らしい (rashii) – Expressing Hearsay and Typicality

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Japanese Grammar: らしい (rashii) – Expressing Hearsay and Typicality
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘Rashii’ (らしい) is used to express hearsay, conjecture based on external information, or to describe something that possesses the typical characteristics of a certain category.

🎯 Primary Function

To express probability based on evidence or to define ideal/typical qualities.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Plain form) + らしい
い-Adjective (Plain form) + らしい
な-Adjective (Stem form / No だ) + らしい
Noun/Adjective/Verb (Negative Plain form) + らしい

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used with ‘desu’ (らしいです) in polite conversations and news reporting.

😊 Informal Situations

Used as ‘rashii’ in casual speech with friends and family.

✍️ Written Language

Used in articles, reports, and social media to convey information gathered from other sources.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very common in daily conversation to share rumors or observations.

💡 Common Applications

Hearsay and Conjecture
Used when the speaker has heard information from someone else or has observed signs that lead to a logical conclusion.
Example: 彼は明日来ないらしい。 (It seems he won’t come tomorrow.)
Typical Characteristics
Used when a person or thing behaves or appears exactly as one would expect based on its nature or role.
Example: 今日は冬らしい寒い日です。 (Today is a cold day, typical of winter.)
📊
Frequency
High
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N4)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
明日、雨が降るらしいです。
Furigana: あした、あめがふるらしいです。
Romaji: Ashita, ame ga furu rashii desu.
English: It seems that it will rain tomorrow.
Example #2
彼はもう帰ったらしい。
Furigana: かれはもうかえったらしい。
Romaji: Kare wa mou kaetta rashii.
English: It seems that he has already gone home.
Example #3
あの店は安くておいしいらしいよ。
Furigana: あのみせはやすくておいしいらしいよ。
Romaji: Ano mise wa yasukute oishii rashii yo.
English: I heard that restaurant is cheap and delicious.
Example #4
今日は春らしい暖かい日ですね。
Furigana: きょうははるらしいあたたかいひですね。
Romaji: Kyou wa haru rashii atatakai hi desu ne.
English: Today is a warm day, just like spring should be.
Example #5
田中さんはいつも田中さんらしい服を着ている。
Furigana: たなかさんはいつもたなかさんらしいふくをきている。
Romaji: Tanaka-san wa itsumo Tanaka-san rashii fuku o kite iru.
English: Tanaka-san is always wearing clothes that are typical of her style.
Example #6
プロらしい素晴らしい演奏だった。
Furigana: プロらしいすばらしいえんそうだった。
Romaji: Puro rashii subarashii ensou datta.
English: It was a wonderful performance, just like a professional.
Example #7
あそこのレストラン、有名らしいですよ。
Furigana: あそこのレストラン、ゆうめいらしいですよ。
Romaji: Asoko no resutoran, yuumei rashii desu yo.
English: Apparently, that restaurant over there is famous.
Example #8
試験は難しくなかったらしい。
Furigana: しけんはむずかしくなかったらしい。
Romaji: Shiken wa muzukashikunakatta rashii.
English: I heard that the exam wasn’t that difficult.
Example #9
子供らしい笑顔で遊んでいる。
Furigana: こどもらしいえがおであそんでいる。
Romaji: Kodomo rashii egao de asonde iru.
English: He is playing with a childlike smile.
Example #10
噂では、彼らは結婚するらしい。
Furigana: うわさでは、かれらはけっこんするらしい。
Romaji: Uwasa de wa, karera wa kekkon suru rashii.
English: According to the rumors, it seems they are getting married.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

The ‘Typical’ usage implies positive or expected traits.
When used with nouns, it implies that the subject is truly what the noun represents (e.g., a man acting manly).
Example: 男らしい (Otoko-rashii)
Hearsay vs. Logic
Unlike ‘sou desu’ (hearsay), ‘rashii’ often implies the speaker is making a judgment based on something they heard or saw.
Example: 雨が降るらしい。 (Ame ga furu rashii.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 先生だらしい (Sensei da rashii)
✅ 先生らしい (Sensei rashii)
You should not use the copula ‘da’ before ‘rashii’ when connecting to a noun.
❌ 静かならしい (Shizuka na rashii)
✅ 静からしい (Shizuka rashii)
For Na-adjectives, do not use ‘na’ or ‘da’ before ‘rashii’. Use the stem form.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral to Polite. Use ‘rashii desu’ for politeness.
Social Situations: Commonly used when gossiping or reporting news where the speaker doesn’t want to take 100% responsibility for the truth.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

～らしい vs ～みたい
‘Rashii’ is based on objective information or hearsay; ‘mitai’ is based on visual appearance or personal impression.
When to use: Use ‘rashii’ for rumors; ‘mitai’ for ‘looks like’.
～らしい vs ～そうだ (Hearsay)
‘Sou da’ is a direct report of what was heard. ‘Rashii’ includes the speaker’s own conjecture or evaluation of the info.
When to use: Use ‘sou da’ for pure reporting; ‘rashii’ for ‘it appears to be so’.

📝 Conjugation Notes

‘Rashii’ conjugates like an i-adjective (e.g., rashikunai, rashikatta). When used as a modifier for a noun, it stays as ‘rashii’ (Noun + rashii + Noun).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The ‘ra’ is a Japanese flap R. Keep the ‘shii’ long enough to distinguish it from other sounds.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘rashii’ as ‘seems-ish’. It covers both ‘I heard it’s ish’ and ‘It acts very ish’. Remember: NO ‘DA’ before ‘rashii’!

Other Grammar

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