How to master the use of  Mitai na みたいな in Japanese to express “like, similar to~” 

Hey guys, how are you today? Are you feeling “like” a real enthusiastic student? That’s fantastic news, as we are going to be learning all about how to say something “is like, similar to” something else. This is a real game changer when it comes to your Japanese communication skills. You will be able to be a lot more descriptive with your sentences and develop up your hidden expressive powers of description. If you have already learnt this phrase then this also may be the perfect opportunity to brush up on the phrase. 

We are going to split today’s lesson up into 5 different sections to make it as easy as possible for you to understand. These sections are:

  1. What is Mitai na みたいな and where can i use it? We will look at the foundations of the phrase 
  2. How can i use and build sentences with Mitai na みたいな? A lesson through example.
  3. Example sentences with Mitai na みたいな. How to use Mitai na みたいな in varying circumstances 
  4. A fantastic technique to help you practice with Mitai na みたいな. Become the Mitai na みたいな master very quickly! 
  5. A summary of today’s lesson on Mitai na みたいな. Let’s round off today’s online Japanese lesson to ensure you haven’t missed anything. 

If you feel the need to skip ahead to a specific section, feel free to do so. However we would recommend reading the whole article for maximum effectiveness.  

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What is Mitai na みたいな and where can i use it? 

We will look at the foundations of the phrase 

So what does みたいな this actually mean? Let’s find out. 

The suffix mitai describes an appearance. When used with a な after it it can be used in front of a noun to say “is like, similar to”

For example: 

リンゴ みたいな くだもの
Ringo mitai na kudamono
Fruits like apples 

You can use this in situations when you want to say one thing “is like” something else. We will now move to the next sentence where we will build some sentences.

How can i use and build sentences with Mitai na みたいな?

A lesson through example.

Let’s start now by having a look at an example sentence and break down how it is made up. 

Here is an example sentence using mita na. 

きょうみたいなひがすきです。
kyou mitai na hi ga suki desu.
I like days like today.

So here we have noun A mitai na noun B

Noun A is Today 

Noun B is Day 

The speaker is using mitai na to express “days like today”. You can see how useful this is when it comes to describing things. Let’s try and look at a host of other sentences to really understand. 

Example sentences with Mitai na みたいな.

How to use Mitai na みたいな in varying circumstances 

Long day at the office? Can’t keep your eyes open? Someone may say this about you from the way you are acting / appear. 

かれはすこしつかれてるみたいだ。
kare was sukoshi tsukareteru mitai da.
He is a guy that always seems tired. 

If you and your friends are like a close knit family you could say something like the following: 

わたしたちはかぞくみたいなものです。
watashi tachi wa kazoku mitai na mono desu.
We are like family.

In this example the speaker is saying that something is “like” a dream. Perhaps they have just won the lottery. 

ゆめみたいなことです。
yume mitai na koto desu.
It's like a dream come true.

See how in this example the speaker uses “da” at the end instead of “desu” making the sentence a lot less formal. It expresses the “it seems” meaning in this sentence. The speaker has probably tried to turn the phone on and because it hasn’t responded, has deduced that it is not working. 

この携帯はこわれているみたいだ
kono keitai wa kowareteru mitaida
A phone that looks broken 

Now we are going to take a look at a great study technique that you can use daily to ensure you master the use of mita na. 

A fantastic technique to help you practice with Mitai na みたいな. 

Become the Mitai na みたいな master very quickly! 

Okay, so now we have all of the info on the grammar let’s get to grips with actually using this stuff in your own time. 

First write down 10 sentences with the structure:  noun A    mitai na    noun B

Come up with 10 things that you might use in your daily life to say something is like something else. 

Now try and build those into longer sentences and really imagine using these sentences in real situations too.

By doing this you will not only get to practice with the form, you will become able to use it more fluently in conversation too, how cool.

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A summary of today’s lesson on Mitai na みたいな.

Let’s round off today’s online Japanese lesson to ensure you haven’t missed anything. 

Let’s now dive into a quick summary of today’s lesson to make sure we haven’t missed any vital information. 

  1. The suffix mitai describes an appearance.
  2. When used with a な after it it can be used in front of a noun to say “is like, similar to”
  3. You can use this in situations when you want to say one thing “is like” something else
  4. Be sure that you use today’s epic study technique to master Mitai na みたいな.

Well guys, that’s all for today’s lesson from BondLingo! We really hope that you have learnt something new today that you can use to help develop your Japanese communication skills. If you have any comments or suggestions on future content that you would like to see be sure to get in touch with us. We are really happy that you are taking the time to study off your own back. Remember, it is a hard journey, but one that needs to be taken step by step. Until the next time またね.

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