ように (Similarity)

ように (Similarity) Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Auxiliary な-Adjective

Essential Meaning: As X / Like X / Similarly to X / As if X were the case

Construction: 

• (Verb / い-Adjective) informal + ように
  • E.g. 話はなすように [As X speaks / As if X speaks]
  • E.g. 食たべるように [As X eats / As if X speaks]

• な-Adjective Stem + [な / だった] + ように
  • E.g. 静しずかなように [As X is quiet / As if X were quiet]

• Noun + [の / だった] + ように
  • E.g. 先生せんせいのように [As X is a teacher / As if X were a teacher]

Notes:

• ように (Similarity) is an adverbial form of ようだ. ように (Similarity) expresses similarity in terms of appearance, manner, ability, et cetera.
  • E.g. 上田うえださんのように走はしれますか。[Can you run like Mr. Ueda runs?]
  • E.g. 兄あにがスポーツが上手じょうずなように弟おとうとも上手じょうずだ。[Just as the older brother is good at sports, the younger brother is good at sports too.]

• ように (Similarity) can be used counterfactually to express the idea of “As if X were Y” or “As if X had Y“.
  • E.g. まるで生いき返かえったように元気げんきになった。[He recovered as if he had risen from the dead.]
  • E.g. あの子こはまるで大人おとなのように話はなす。[That child speaks as if he were an adult.]

Example Sentences:

私わたしが言いうように書かいてください。[Please write it down just as I tell you.]

今日きょうは春はるになったように暖あたたかい。[Today is warm as if has become spring.]

ドロシーは日本人にほんじんのように日本語にほんごを話はなす。[Dorothy speaks Japanese as if she were a Japanese person.]

前まえに話はなしたように私わたしは会社かいしゃをやめます。[As I told you before, I am quitting the company.]

上田うえださんのように走はしれますか。[Can you run like Mr. Ueda runs?]

若わかい時ときのようには元気げんきがなくなった。[I am not as healthy as I was when I was young.]

土井どいさんはいつものように朝あさ六時ろくじに起おきた。[Doi-san woke up at 6 AM as usual.]

兄あにがスポーツが上手じょうずなように弟おとうとも上手じょうずだ。[Just as the older brother is good at sports, the younger brother is good at sports too.]

猫ねこがかわいいように犬いぬもかわいい。[Dogs are cute, just like cats.]

WILD Examples:

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