This means something starts to look or feel like something else. It often means it takes on a bad quality.
Noun + じみるPrimary
This means something starts to look or feel like something else. It often means it takes on a bad quality.
まだ若いのに、年寄りじみたことを言うなよ。
You're still young, so don't say such old-fashioned/crotchety things.
彼の態度は決して他人行儀じみてはいなかった。
His attitude was in no way formal and distant like that of a stranger.
こんな湿っぽじみた話はやめて、もっと明るい話題にしよう。
Let's stop this kind of gloomy talk and move on to a brighter topic.
長年の貧乏暮らしで、彼にはどこか卑屈じみたところがあった。
From years of living in poverty, he had developed a somewhat servile quality.
久しぶりに会ったのに、そんな他人行儀じみた挨拶はよしてください。
We haven't seen each other in a while, so please stop with those formal, distant greetings.
This grammar shows you do not like something. It means something has become too much like a bad thing. It's not just a little bit like it. It means it is fully that bad thing.
This is different from 〜がかった. That means "a little bit like something." This is also different from 〜めく. That often means something good, like "it feels like spring." This is also different from 〜びる. That means something looks a certain way. But 〜じみる means something has fully changed in a bad way.
Don't use this when talking about things like 'dog' or 'desk'. You can't say 'dog-like' or 'desk-like'. You can only use it with certain words. These words are often about feelings or types of people. They usually have a bad meaning.
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