-ish, -like, tends to be

Beginner

15-20 min

very common

Expert Reviewed

Explanation

Indicates a tendency or resemblance, often slightly negative.

[Noun/Verb stem/い-adj stem] + っぽい

彼は子供っぽい。

Kare wa kodomo ppoi.

He is childish.

最近忘れっぽくなった。

Saikin wasureppoku natta.

I have become forgetful lately.

Different from らしい which means "typical of".

～気味

slight tendency, touch of, -ish

～向き/向け

suitable for, intended for, facing

～ために (tame ni)

in order to ~, for the purpose of ~

～のに (noni)

although ~, despite ~, even though ~

～にもかかわらず

despite ~, in spite of ~

～ようになる

come to ~, become able to ~, reach the point where ~

Common in casual speech. Often implies slight criticism.

JLPTBooks Editorial Team

Japanese Language Education Specialists

Last updated: Jan 2

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