みたい

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Shift from earlier 見たよう (mita yō, literally “as if had seen”). Appears from the middle of the Meiji period.

Alternative forms

  • (informal, non-standard) みたい (mitai, i-adjective)

Pronunciation

    • In Tokyo speech, it is pronounced with a downstep after the first mora if the word it attaches to contains no downsteps.

Adjective

みたい • (mitai) -na (adnominal みたいな (mitai na na), adverbial みたいに (mitai ni ni))

  1. (auxiliary, informal) appended after the noun to mean -like, resembling
    木(き)村(むら)拓(たく)哉(や)みたいな人(ひと)を見(み)た。
    Kimura Takuya mitai na hito o mita.
    saw someone resembling Takuya Kimura.
    私(わたし)は馬(ば)鹿(か)みたいですね。
    Watashi wa baka mitai desu ne.
    I seem like a fool.
    君(きみ)はまるで天(てん)使(し)みたいに笑(わら)う。
    Kimi wa marude tenshi mitai ni warau.
    You smile just like an angel.
Inflection
Inflection of みたい
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) みたいだろ mitai daro
Continuative (連用形) みたいで mitai de
Terminal (終止形) みたいだ mitai da
Attributive (連体形) みたいな mitai na
Hypothetical (仮定形) みたいなら mitai nara
Imperative (命令形) みたいであれ mitai de are
Key constructions
Informal negative みたいではない
みたいじゃない 		mitai de wa nai
mitai ja nai
Informal past みたいだった mitai datta
Informal negative past みたいではなかった
みたいじゃなかった 		mitai de wa nakatta
mitai ja nakatta
Formal みたいです mitai desu
Formal negative みたいではありません
みたいじゃありません 		mitai de wa arimasen
mitai ja arimasen
Formal past みたいでした mitai deshita
Formal negative past みたいではありませんでした
みたいじゃありませんでした 		mitai de wa arimasen deshita
mitai ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive みたいで mitai de
Conditional みたいなら（ば） mitai nara (ba)
Provisional みたいだったら mitai dattara
Volitional みたいだろう mitai darō
Adverbial みたいに mitai ni
Degree みたいさ mitaisa
Synonyms

Etymology 2

Reanalysis of みたい (mitai, na-adjective).

Pronunciation

Adjective

みたい • (mitai) -i (adverbial みたく (mitaku))

  1. (informal, nonstandard) Alternative form of みたい (mitai, na-adjective)
    ○○みたく生(い)きる
    ○○ mitaku ikiru
    to live like X
Usage notes
  • Not used as the attributive: for example, *○○みたい人 (“person who is like X”) is not said.
  • Especially visible as the adverbial みたく (mitaku), which is standardly みたいに (mitai ni).
Inflection
Inflection of みたい
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) みたかろ mitakaro
Continuative (連用形) みたく mitaku
Terminal (終止形) みたい mitai
Attributive (連体形) みたい mitai
Hypothetical (仮定形) みたけれ mitakere
Imperative (命令形) みたかれ mitakare
Key constructions
Informal negative みたくない mitaku nai
Informal past みたかった mitakatta
Informal negative past みたくなかった mitaku nakatta
Formal みたいです mitai desu
Formal negative みたくないです mitaku nai desu
Formal past みたかったです mitakatta desu
Formal negative past みたくなかったです mitaku nakatta desu
Conjunctive みたくて mitakute
Conditional みたければ mitakereba
Provisional みたかったら mitakattara
Volitional みたかろう mitakarō
Adverbial みたく mitaku
Degree みたさ mitasa

Etymology 3

Alternative spelling
見たい

Pronunciation

Verb

みたい • (mitai) 

  1. desiderative form of みる: want to see something; want to try to do something

References

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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