Japanese with Manga

Conjecture with

Grammar: Hearsay » 〜らしい

らしい reports a conclusion based on information the speaker has heard, seen, or read. It often translates as “apparently”, “it seems”, or “I hear”.

Usage Notes

らしい follows a noun, adjective, or plain-form verb. The preceding clause may be affirmative or negative and can use any tense.

Related Grammar

  • そうだ
    • Differs in that it expresses a guess based on what the speaker sees, whereas らしい is based on what the speaker believes to be more reliable information.

Examples

Heard about getting along with animals with 〜らしい

Learn the meaning and usage of the grammar 〜らしい in Japanese, with examples from manga.
ご注文はうさぎですか？ » Volume 1 » Page 49

Chino is fascinated by the rabbit at a rival tea shop, but she keeps her distance.

ココア:
「触(さわ)らないの？」
“You're not going to touch it?”
リゼ:
「チノはティッピー以外(いがい)の動物(どうぶつ)が懐(なつ)かないらしい」
“It seems that animals other than Tippy don't warm up to Chino.”