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Japanese
Vocabulary
～のように

B1 particle

～のように

you ni

When you want to compare two things and say something is similar to something else, you can use ～のように.

For example, if you want to say "The moon is like a circle", you can say "月は円のようにです". Here, 月 (tsuki - moon) is similar to 円 (en - circle). So you add のように after 円.

You can also use it to describe how something is done. For example, 「彼女はプロの歌手のように歌います」(Kanojo wa puro no kashu no you ni utaimasu.) which means "She sings like a professional singer."

You will often see it used with verbs and adjectives too. For example: 子供のように遊ぶ (kodomo no you ni asobu) - "to play like a child." This makes your descriptions much more vivid!

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

Examples by Level

まるで夢のように美しい景色が目の前に広がっていた。

A beautiful landscape, as if a dream, spread out before my eyes.

彼はまるで機械のように正確に作業をこなす。

He performs tasks with precision, just like a machine.

この件については、専門家のように詳しい説明が必要だ。

Regarding this matter, a detailed explanation, like that from an expert, is needed.

嵐のように激しい議論が交わされた。

A fierce debate, like a storm, was exchanged.

彼女はまるで蝶のように軽やかに踊っていた。

She was dancing lightly, as if a butterfly.

まるで昨日起こったことのように鮮明に記憶している。

I remember it vividly, as if it happened yesterday.

彼の言葉は、まるで鋭い刃物のように私の心を突き刺した。

His words pierced my heart, like a sharp blade.

まるで時間が止まったかのように、その瞬間は永遠に感じられた。

That moment felt eternal, as if time had stopped.

Common Collocations

雪のように白い white like snow

夢のように速い fast as a dream

機械のように働く work like a machine

子供のように喜ぶ rejoice like a child

水のように流れる flow like water

石のように固い hard as a rock

影のように付きまとう follow like a shadow

魔法のように消える disappear like magic

友達のように話す talk like a friend

鳥のように歌う sing like a bird

Common Phrases

彼は先生のように話す。

He speaks like a teacher.

まるで夢のように美しい景色だった。

It was a beautiful scene, as if it were a dream.

彼女はモデルのようにスタイルが良い。

She has a good figure, like a model.

子供のように無邪気な笑顔。

An innocent smile like a child's.

この問題は思っていたよりずっと難しいようです。

This problem seems much more difficult than I thought.

彼は幽霊のように突然現れた。

He suddenly appeared like a ghost.

時間が止まったかのように感じた。

I felt as if time had stopped.

雲のようにふわふわしたパン。

Fluffy bread like clouds.

まるで昨日のことのように覚えている。

I remember it as if it were yesterday.

彼は王様のように振る舞う。

He acts like a king.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'NO YOU NI' as 'NOt YOU, NImble comparison'. It's not the exact thing, but it's *like* it.

Visual Association

Imagine two distinct objects, like an apple and a tomato. They aren't the same, but they are both round and red. Draw an arrow between them labeled 'のように' to show their similarity. Or, visualize a person pretending to be a teacher, talking 'のように' a teacher.

Word Web

like as if similar to in the manner of resembles

Challenge

Describe five things around you using 「～のように」. For example, 'このコーヒーは泥のように見える。' (This coffee looks like mud.) Try to use it to describe how someone speaks, how something feels, or how an event unfolded.