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“ 

ら

”(=rashii)＋Bonus song lesson♪ ど

んなときも =Donna toki mo

October 8, 2011 in Grammar , Japanese song 

「先生、失恋したらしいよ…」 

= Sensei shitsuren shitarashiiyo. = I heard Sensei has a broken heart. 

「マギーらしくないよ！元気だして！」 

= That’s not like you, Maggie. Keep your chin up!  

皆さん、今日は！= Minasan konnichiwa! = Hello, everyone! 

This lesson is for my twitter follower, ユリヤ, who has recently asked me how

to use らしい(=rashii)

She wants to know when/how to use it. Actually I started making this lesson ayear ago, but put it on the back burner until now. But now I actually have moreto add, so that’s even better!

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When you think about this word, basically there are two ways to use. 1) When you tell people what you have heard, seen, read— based on indirectinformation, you say:I heard ~/ They say ~ / It seems like~ / It looks like/ apparently 

Similar words : みたい(だ）(=mitai(da)), 様（だ）(= you(da)), そう

(だ ) (= sou(da))

(Note : 様(だ）= みたい(だ）=mitai(da) is more colloquial than 様（だ）= you(da) 

a) マギー先生は風邪をひいたらしい。 

= Maggie Sensei wa kaze wo hiita rashii.

= I heard (they say) Maggie Sensei had a cold.  

You can also say 

b )マギー先生は風邪をひいた様だ。 

= Maggie Sensei wa kaze wo hiita yō da. c )マギー先生は風邪をひいたみたいだ。 

= Maggie Sensei wa kaze wo hiita mitaida. d) マギー先生は風邪をひいたそうだ。 

= Maggie Sensei wa kaze wo hiita sōda. 

Note :1) a) ~d) They all could mean “I heard” or  “They said” but b) & c) could be basedon your own assumption or conjecture. Like you have seen Maggie Sensei issneezing, coughing etc. so you assume she has a cold. Buta) & d) are basedon indirect information. 

2) While 様だ(=yō (da) ) andみたい（だ）(=mitai (da) ) can be used when you

describe something about yourself, it sounds strange to use らしい( =rashii)

or そうだ(= sōda) for yourself. 

I think I have cold/It seems like I am catching a cold, so I will go home.  

Ex. 風邪をひいたみたいなので帰ります。 

= Kaze wo hiita mitai nanode kaerimasu. Ex.風邪をひいた様なので帰ります。 

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= Kaze wo hiita yō nanode kaerimasu. X 風邪をひいたらしいので帰ります。 

= Kaze wo hiita rashii node kaerimasu. X  風邪をひいたそうなので帰ります。 

= Kaze wo hiita sōnanode kaerimasu. Ex.今日、抜き打ち試験があるらしいよ。 

= Kyō nukiuchi shiken ga arurashiiyo.

= I heard they are going to give us a pop quiz today. 

Ex.この辺においしいラーメン屋があるらしいよ。 

= Kono hen ni oishii raamenya ga arurashiiyo.

= I heard there is a good ramen shop around here. 

Ex.その噂は本当らしい。 

= Sono uwasa wa hontō rashii.

= The rumor appears to be true. 

Ex.お隣、来年、転勤らしいよ。 

= Otonari, rainen tankin rashiiyo.

= I heard (It seems like) our next door neighbor will be transferred next year.  

Ex. 今年の冬はいつもより寒くなるらしい。 

= Kotoshi no fuyu wa itsumo yori samuku narurashii.

= They said this winter is going to be colder than usual. 

From the picture above 

「先生、失恋したらしいよ…」 

= Sensei shitsuren shitarashiiyo. = I heard Sensei has a broken heart. 

2) The second meaning of らしい (=rashii) is when you express something

which represents its characteristic, quality or originality well. ~ like, It is really ~ 

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You use it for something /someone ideally should be like ~ / Some condition that we all

expect / supposed to be / should be / ideally should be ~) 

Ex.春らしいファッション 

= Harurashii fassion 

= Springy fashion (describing clothes that looks to be very appropriate for spring)

Ex. ずっと暑かったけれどもやっと秋らしくなってきた。 

= Zutto atsukatta keredomo yatto akirashii tenki ni natte kita. = It was very hot for a long time but it finally seems like autumn.

Ex.女らしい 

= onna rashii)

= feminine 

Ex.女らしい仕草 

= Onnarashii shigusa

= feminine gesture 

Note : It is very similar to 女っぽい(=onnappoi)

(Please check my っぽい (=ppoi) lesson I also explained the difference

betweenっぽい(=ppoi) and みたいな(=mitaina) in that lesson.) 

女々しい(=memeshii) or女みたいな(=onna mitaina) are used towards men andit is negative. towards men, it is negative. Ex.女々しいぞ！

 

(ぞ(=zo) ending is a male speech/ blunt)

= Memeshiizo!

= Don’t be a sissy! 

Ex.なに、女みたいなこと言ってるんだ！(male speech/ blunt) 

= Nani, onnnamitai na koto itterunda.

= You are talking like a girl! 

Ex.彼は男らしい人ですね。 

= Kare wa otokorashi hito desune.

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= He is masculine, isn’t he? 

*人間らしい = ningenrashii = humanly 

Ex.もっと人間らしい生活をしたら？ 

= Motto ningen rashii seikatsu wo shitara? 

= Why don’t you live like a real person? (This use implies the person is living improperly

in some way— maybe working too much and not enjoying their life.) 

*子供らしい = kodomo rashii = childlike 

Ex.あの子は子供らしいね。 

= Ano ko wa kodomo rashii ne.

= That child is very childlike. 

We usually use it with a pronoun and express the quality that represents thatperson or place. *マギーらしい = Maggei rashii = very Maggie, Maggie-like 

Ex. マギーらしいね。 

= Maggie rashii ne.= It is typical of Maggie. / It is so Maggie. 

From the picture above :

「マギーらしくないよ！元気だして！」 

= It’s not like you, Maggie. Keep your chin up! 

*あなたらしい= anata rashii = very you 

Ex. これはあなたらしい作品ですね。 

= Korewa anata rashii sakuhin desune.

= This work is very you. 

Negative form:

らしくない = rashikunai 

Ex.そんなことを言うなんてあの人らしくない。 

= Sonna koto wo iu nante anohito rashiku nai.

= It is not typical of him/her to say things like that. 

 Adverb: 

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 ~らしく= rashiku 

*自分らしく = jibun rashiku = to be like oneself  

Ex. 自分らしく生きる 

= jibun rashiku ikiru

= to live by one’s own values 

Ex.自分らしくしなさい 

= jibun rashiku shinasai

= Be yourself! 

Ex.もっと自分らしく振る舞いなさい。 

= Motto jibunrashiku furumai nasai.

= Act yourself more. 

Cultural note : 

Japanese people are often considered to live in a group.We are tied up in a society and we have learned how to follow society.

 Although we want to be ourselves, sometimes we have to do things againstour will in order to be adapted in the society. 

So there are many young people who want to live acccording to their ownvalues without worrying about society. wishing to live being yourself, 自分らしく生きたい= Jibun rashiku ikitai. 

Bonus lesson : Learn Japanese through a song!!

Do you know the song 「どんなときも」(= Donna tokimo) by 槙原敬之 (=

Makihara Noriyuki) ? It’s very motivational.

It is not a new song, but it’s his signature song and many people havecovered this song. It has a famous line, 僕が僕らしくあるために…(=boku ga boku rashiku aru

tameni) in the lyrics.

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僕の背中は自分が 

= Boku no senaka jibun ga

思うより正直かい?

= omō yori shōjikikai 

Is my back as honest as I think it is? 

誰かに聞かなきゃ 

= darekani kikanakya

不安になってしまうよ 

=fuan ni natte shimauyo 

If I don’t ask someone, I will feel uneasy. 

旅立つ僕の為に 

= tabidatsu boku no tame ni

誓ったあの夢は 

= chikatta ano yume wa

古ぼけた教室の 

= furuboketa kyōshitu no

隅に置き去りのまま 

= sumi ni okizari no mama 

I left the dream I promised to myself before my journey in the corner of my oldclassroom 

あの泥だらけのスニーカーじゃ 

= ano dorodake no suniikaa ja

追い越せないのは 

= oikosenai nowa

The thing that I can’t pass with those muddy sneakers are

電車でも時間でもなく = densha dmeo jikan demo naku

neither train or time 

僕かもしれないけど 

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= boku kamo shirenai kedo

but it could be myself. 

****どんなときも  どんなときも 

= donna toki mo donna tokimo 

Through hard times and good times 

僕が僕らしくあるために 

= boku ga bokurashiku aru tameni 

In order to be myself  

「好きなものは好き!」と 

= sukina mono wa suki to

言える気持ち 

抱きしめてたい = ieru kimochi dakishimetetai 

I would like to embrace the feelings to be able to say “I just love it!” 

どんなときも  どんなときも 

= donna toki mo donna toki mo→Through hard times and good times 

迷い探し続ける日々が 

= mayoi sagashitudukeru hibi ga

答えになること 

僕は知ってるから = kotae ni naru koto boku washitteru kara

Because I know those days that I keep searching and wondering will be my answer.  

****もしも他の誰かを 

= moshi mo hoka no dareka wo

知らずに傷つけても 

= shirazu ni kizutsukete mo 

Even if I hurt someone’s feeling without knowing, 

絶対ゆずれない 

= zettai yuzurenai

夢が僕にはあるよ 

= yume ga boku niwa aru yo 

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I have dreams that I can never give up 

“昔は良かったね”と 

= “Mukashi wa yokattane” to 

いつも口にしながら 

＝itsumo kuchi ni shinagara 

生きて行くのは 

= ikite yuku no wa 

本当に嫌だから 

= hontō ni iyadakara 

I really don’t want to live looking back at my past saying it was great back then.  

消えたいくらい辛い気持ち = kietai kurai tsurai kimochi

抱えていても 

= kakaete itemo 

鏡の前  笑ってみる 

= kagami no mae warattemiru 

まだ平気みたいだよ 

= mada heiki mitai dayo 

So even though I hold onto this painful feeling— a feeling so painful that I want to

disappear — I try to smile in front of the mirror.

I still look OK. 

どんなときも 

どんなときも = donna toki mo donna toki mo 

ビルの間きゅうくつそうに 

= biru no aida kyūktsusou ni

落ちて行く夕陽に 

= ochiteyuku yuuhi ni 焦る気持ち  溶かして行こう 

= aseru kimochi tokashite yukou 

Through hard times and good times

I will dissolve my frustration into the sunset in the small spaces between the buildings. 

そしていつか  誰かを愛し 

= soshite itsuka dareka wo aishi その人を守れる強さを 

= sono hito wo mamoreru tsuyosa wo 

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自分の力に変えて行けるように 

= jibun no chikara ni kaete yukeru yō ni 

Some day I will love someone and hope to get the strength to protect that person

myself. 

**** repeat **** 

Hope you like this song as much as I do!

マギー先生より = Maggie sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei 

これからもマギーらしいレッスンを一杯作っていきますね。 

= Korekaramo Maggie rashii ressun wo ippai tsukutte ikimasune. = I will keep making lessons that represent me.