Grammar › Tendency & Manner
っぽい — “seems/looks like, -ish”
A casual way to say something has the feel or quality of something, often critically
っぽい attaches to a noun or a verb's ます-stem to say something gives off that impression or quality — 子供っぽい (childish), 忘れっぽい (forgetful), 水っぽい (watery). It's casual/spoken and often carries a mildly critical edge, unlike the neutral みたい/ような.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + っぽい | 安っぽいデザイン — a cheap-looking design |
| Verb stem + っぽい | 飽きっぽい性格 — a personality that gets bored easily |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| このスープ、ちょっと水っぽいね。 | このすーぷ、ちょっとみずっぽいね。 konosu-pu、chottomizuppoine。 | This soup's a little watery, isn't it. |
| 彼は忘れっぽいから、メモを渡しておこう。 | かれはわすれっぽいから、めもをわたしておこう。 karehawasureppoikara、memowowatashiteokou。 | He's forgetful, so let's leave him a note. |
| その言い方、ちょっと子供っぽいよ。 | そのいいかた、ちょっとこどもっぽいよ。 sonoiikata、chottokodomoppoiyo。 | That way of talking is a bit childish. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
っぽい often reads as mildly negative or dismissive — calling someone's outfit 安っぽい (cheap-looking) is a criticism, not a compliment, so watch the tone before using it about someone present.