JLPT N4
らしい
Apparently / I hear
Structure
Plain form らしい
How it works
らしい is used to express an inference based on information you have heard, read, or observed. It suggests 'it seems like' or 'I heard that' and indicates that the speaker is reporting information from an outside source rather than an internal feeling. It follows nouns, adjectives, and verbs in plain form directly.
Examples
天気予報によると、明日は雨が降るらしいです。
According to the weather forecast, it seems it will rain tomorrow.
田中さんは来月結婚するらしいよ。
I heard that Mr. Tanaka is getting married next month.
あのレストランはおいしいらしいから、行ってみよう。
I heard that restaurant is delicious, so let's go check it out.
Common mistakes
Do not add 'da' (だ) before らしい when using nouns or Na-adjectives; for example, say 'Ame rashii' instead of 'Ame da rashii'.
Tip
Think of らしい as 'rumor-based' or 'report-based' evidence. If you are making a guess based on your own visual observation (like seeing dark clouds), 'sou da' might be more appropriate than 'rashii'.
More JLPT N4 grammar
See らしい in real Japanese
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