らしい

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Japanese

Suffix

らしい • (-rashii) -i (adverbial らしく (-rashiku))

(after nouns, adverbs or adjective stems)
1. to be like or equivalent to; to be perceived as
  男(おとこ) (otoko, “man”) - 男(おとこ)らしい (otokorashii, “manly”)
  
  汚(きたな)い (kitanai, “dirty”) - 汚(きたな)らしい (kitanarashii, “looking dirty”)
  
  大人(おとな)らしくするつもりだったのに、大(おお)騒(さわ)ぎしてしまった。
  Otonarashiku suru tsumori datta no ni, ōsawagi shite shimatta.
  Despite the fact that I planned to act like an adult, I ended up making a big ruckus.
  - 2003 September 22, Akinobu Uraku, “第(だい)63話(わ)　幼(おさな)い記(き)憶(おく)”, in 東(とう)京(きょう)アンダーグラウンド, volume 11 (fiction), Square Enix, →ISBN, pages 109–110:
    
    たまには女(おんな)の子(こ)らしいお前(まえ)もいいけど　ルリの事(こと)考(かんが)えてるお前(まえ)が一(いち)番(ばん)お前(まえ)らしいと思(おも)ってな！
    Tama ni wa onna no ko rashii o-mae mo ii kedo Ruri no koto kangaeteru o-mae ga ichiban o-mae rashii to omotte na!
    It’s nice to have you be ladylike every once in a while. But it’s much better to have you be yourself every time you think about Ruri!
2. to cause a feeling or emotion
  愛(あい) (ai, “love”) - 愛(あい)らしい (airashii, “lovable”)

Usage notes

The suffix らしい (-rashii) usually denotes a quality that is somehow appropriate to or positive for the noun being described. Meanwhile, synonym っぽい (-ppoi) describes a quality that is somehow inappropriate to or negative for the noun being described. Compare English childlike and childish, womanly and womanish, manly and mannish.

Inflection

Inflection of らしい

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	らしかろ	らしかろ	-rashikaro
Continuative (連用形)	らしく	らしく	-rashiku
Terminal (終止形)	らしい	らしい	-rashii
Attributive (連体形)	らしい	らしい	-rashii
Hypothetical (仮定形)	らしけれ	らしけれ	-rashikere
Imperative (命令形)	らしかれ	らしかれ	-rashikare
Key constructions
Informal negative	らしくない	らしくない	-rashiku nai
Informal past	らしかった	らしかった	-rashikatta
Informal negative past	らしくなかった	らしくなかった	-rashiku nakatta
Formal	らしいです	らしいです	-rashii desu
Formal negative	らしくないです	らしくないです	-rashiku nai desu
Formal past	らしかったです	らしかったです	-rashikatta desu
Formal negative past	らしくなかったです	らしくなかったです	-rashiku nakatta desu
Conjunctive	らしくて	らしくて	-rashikute
Conditional	らしければ	らしければ	-rashikereba
Provisional	らしかったら	らしかったら	-rashikattara
Volitional	らしかろう	らしかろう	-rashikarō
Adverbial	らしく	らしく	-rashiku
Degree	らしさ	らしさ	-rashisa

Classical conjugation of "らし" (シク活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	らしくらしから		-rasiku -rasikara
Continuative (連用形)	らしくらしかり		-rasiku -rasikari
Terminal (終止形)	らし		-rasi
Attributive (連体形)	らしきらしかる		-rasiki -rasikaru
Realis (已然形)	らしけれ		-rasikere
Imperative (命令形)	らしかれ		-rasikare
Key constructions
Negative	らしからず		-rasikarazu
Contrasting conjunction	らしけれど		-rasikeredo
Causal conjunction	らしければ		-rasikereba
Conditional conjunction	らしくば		-rasikuba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	らしかりき		-rasikariki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	らしかりけり		-rasikarikeri
Adverbial	らしく		-rasiku
Without auxiliary verb. With auxiliary verb.

Synonyms

っぽい (-ppoi)
よう (yō)
みたい (mitai)

Particle

らしい • (rashii)

(used after the predicate) it seems that; I guess that
彼(かれ)はどうも来(こ)ないらしい。
Kare wa dō mo konai rashii.
He is not coming, apparently.

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