How to tell them apart
らしい conveys a conjecture based on what you have heard, read, or seen, so it works when you are reporting or inferring from external evidence. っぽい attaches to a noun, adjective, or verb to say something has a distinctive characteristic or tendency, giving a -ish or -like feel. Swapping them is unnatural: 安っぽいソファ means cheapish, not apparently cheap, while 難しいらしい means I hear it is difficult, not difficult-ish.
- らしい Use らしい when you are conjecturing or reporting based on something you heard, read, or saw.
- っぽい Use っぽい when you want to say something has a characteristic or tendency, like -ish or -like.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| らしい rashii | It seems; apparently so | N4 |
| っぽい ppoi | Has the look or quality of; prone to doing something | N3 |
らしい rashii
It seems; apparently so
らしい expresses that something seems or is apparently true, often based on hearsay or indirect information. It attaches directly to the plain form of verbs and i-adjectives, to na-adjectives and nouns without a copula, and follows phrases like によると to mark the source of the information.
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ｉＰｏｄnanoは音質がいいらしい。
Apparently the iPod nano has good sound.
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夜は雨になるらしい。
It's supposed to rain at night.
っぽい ppoi
Has the look or quality of; prone to doing something
っぽい attaches to a noun or a verb stem and turns it into an i-adjective meaning something has the quality of that word, like a child acting childish or a road covered in dust. It also describes a tendency, as in being forgetful. Conjugate it like any i-adjective.
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彼女にはいたずらっぽいところがあってますます好きだ。
I like her all the better for her naughtiness.
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フランス語で話すと、子供っぽいって言われるんだよな。
I've been told that I sound like a kid when I speak French.
らしい and っぽい are JLPT N4–N3 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.