Intermediate Japanese Grammar Guide Part II

 
Welcome to our Intermediate Japanese Grammar Guide Series Part II! Believe that you have read Part I. Here are the grammar points that we will be learning today:
N+らしい/っぽい/みたい
～というより/といっても
～わりに/～なんか
N + からすると

Grammar point 1: N+らしい/っぽい/みたい

 
To convey the meaning of an object or person looking like something or being similar to something in Japanese, we can use Noun + らしい,っぽい or みたい. each of these words is slightly different from one another in terms of their usage and meaning.
 
N + らしい
らしい is used when all characteristics of the subject are fulfilled and it is just how it supposed to be.
 
For example:
ゴミをいつもちゃんと分別して出すのは、日本人らしい習慣ですね
It is such a Japanese habit to always separate rubbish for recycling.
田中さんはいつもきれいな服を着ていて、女らしいですね
Ms. Tanaka always wear nice clothes, such a feminine lady
 
Ｎ + っぽい
Ｎ + っぽい　is used in situations where the subject is similar or close to something which it is not supposed to be. It sometimes conveys a negative feeling of inappropriateness
 
Examples:
あの男の子はかみが長くてちょっと女の子っぽい。
That boy’s hair is long, which makes him looks like a girl.
吉田さんはいつも頑固でこどもっぽい
Ｍr. Yoshida is always stubborn just like a kid
 
N + みたい
Similar to っぽい、みたい is used to describe has a neutral nuance, the description can usually be appropriate or inappropriate
 
Examples:
このねこの鳴き声は赤ちゃんみたい。
This cat cries like a baby.
夏なのに、今日は涼しくて秋みたい.
Today is cool like in Autumn although it is summer now.
 

Grammar Point 2: ~というより/といっても

というより
というより means “rather than”, it is used when correcting something said previously to a more suitable description.
 
How to use:
verb short form: というより
noun + というより
Adjective + というより
 
Examples:
田中先生は先生というより、ともだちのような感じがします。
Mr. Tanaka feels like a friend rather than a teacher.
勉強というより、だた教科書を適当によんでいるだけ。
Rather than studying, I am just anyhow reading the textbook.
 
 

といっても
Another similar expression, ～といっても is used to lower the level of something previously said. It means “That said”, “having said”.
 
Examples:
わたしは日本語ができる。といっても、ひらがなとカタカナしか読めない。
I can understand Japanese, that said, I can only read Hiragana and Katakana.
このスーツは高いと言ってもお給料の一週間分で買える。
Having said that this suit is expensive, I can buy it with just a week’s salary.
 

Grammar Point 3:わりに/なんか

わりに
わりに is used to express the unexpected result of the previous expression. The result can either be positive or negative.
How to use:
verb short form: わりに
noun + の＋わりに
Adjective + わりに/なわりに
 
Examples:
このケーキは安いわりにおいしいです
Although the cake is cheap, it is delicious
 
私は私はずっとダイエットしてるわりに太っています
I was losing weight yet I got fatter
 
 
なんて
one of the ways なんて is used is expressing the unexpected occurrence of something.
 
宝くじに当たるなんて、考えもしなかった
i have never expected myself to win a lottery?
 
高橋くんがあの問題を解いたなんて、びっくりした
I have never expected Takahashi to solve that question
 
Ｈow to Use:
Verb short form ＋なんて
Adj + なんて
Noun + なんて
 

N + からすると

 
~からすると is used when judging something from another person’s view.
For example,
小学生からすると、1000円はかなりの金額です
1000 yen is a considerable amount of money to a pupil.
 
私は数学に自信がありますが、先生からするとまだまだでしょう
Although I am very confident in Maths, it is not there yet judging from my teacher.
 
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Basic Grammar Guide Series:
Basic Japanese Grammar Guide Part I
Basic Japanese Grammar Guide Part II
Basic Japanese Grammar Guide Part III
Basic Japanese Grammar Guide Part IV
 
Intermediate Grammar Guide Series
Intermediate Grammar Guide Part I