This means 'it seems' or 'it looks like'. You use it when you guess something based on what you see or hear.
Verb [dictionary form] + みたいだPrimary
Noun + みたいだ
い-Adjective + みたいだ
な-Adjective + みたいだ
This means 'it seems' or 'it looks like'. You use it when you guess something based on what you see or hear.
外は雨が降っているみたいだ。
It looks like it's raining outside.
誰もいない。みんなもう帰ったみたいだった。
There's no one here. It seemed like everyone had already gone home.
彼は今日の会議に来ないみたいだよ。
It looks like he isn't coming to the meeting today.
天使みたいな笑顔に癒される。
I feel healed by that angel-like smile.
子供みたいに喜んで、新しいゲームを開けました。
He/She opened the new game, delighted like a child.
This word can mean 'it seems'. But it can also mean 'like' or 'for example'. It shows a typical thing, not a guess.
This is like 〜ようだ. But 〜みたいだ is more casual. You use it with friends. 〜ようだ is more polite. You can use it anywhere. There are also very formal ways to say this. They are for books or plays.
Don't use this when you are very sure about something. For example, don't say '雨が降るみたいだ' if you see it is already raining. This grammar works like a な-adjective. When you describe a noun, use 'みたいな'. For example, '夢みたいな話' means 'a dream-like story'. When you describe a verb or adjective, use 'みたいに'. For example, '飛ぶみたいに走る' means 'run as if flying'. To end a sentence politely, use 'みたいです'.
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